DUKE 
UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 


Giit  oh 
George  W.  Britt 


L  O  UIS  STIX 


REMINISCENCES 

CHRONICLED    AS  A 
RECREATION  IN 
HIS  LATER 
YEARS 


1821  —  1902 


D 

igitized  by 

the  Internet 

Archive 

in  2015 

https://archive.org/details/reminiscences01stix 


1963 


Preface  to  the  Second  Edition 

During  his  later  years  Sylvan  L.  Stix,  the 
youngest  son  of  Louis  Stix,  cherished  the  hope 
that  he  might  reprint  this  book  in  honor  of  his 
father.  It  was  his  fond  wish  that  every  descendant 
of  Louis  Stix  might  have  a  copy  of  the  family  his- 
tory, the  supply  of  which  has  been  so  limited. 
After  the  death  of  Sylvan  L.  Stix  it  was  felt  that 
this  should  be  done  not  only  in  honor  of  Louis 
Stix  but  also  as  a  tribute  to  Sylvan  L.  Stix  who 
was  so  widely  loved  and  respected,  and  who  so 
ably  carried  on  the  family  traditions. 

No  changes  have  been  made  to  the  text  of  the 
first  edition.  However,  a  list  of  the  descendants 
of  Louis  Stix  has  been  added  in  the  belief  that  it 
may  be  of  interest  to  all. 


These  recollections  are  born  of  a  long  de- 
ferred purpose.  The  history  of  every  life 
is  valuable.  Its  struggles,  its  efforts,  whether 
successful  or  otherwise,  and  even  its  mistakes, 
become  beacons  and  landmarks,  serving  as  a 
guidance  to  those  who  may  find  themselves  in 
similar  straits  or  difficulties. 

It  is  needless  for  me  to  say  that  I  am  neither 
historian  nor  linguist.  The  all-absorbing 
cares  of  a  life  spent  in  mercantile  pursuits 
have  debarred  me  from  the  acquisition  of  at- 
tainments which  would  have  made  my  task 
easier,  and  greatly  improved  the  literary  style 
of  these  recollections.  Nevertheless,  though 
thus  hampered,  and  realizing  in  advance  the 
impediments  in  my  way,  my  naturally  strong 
determination  to  carry  out  all  I  undertake,  has 
urged  me  on,  and  enabled  me  practically  to 
bring  to  a  conclusion  these  reminiscences.  If 
I  have  succeeded  in  making  them  interesting 
to  my  posterity,  I  shall  have  brought  to  a  happy 
termination  my  self-appointed  task.  My  men- 
tion of  figures  and  amounts  must  be  received 
as  only  approximately  correct. 


I  have  never  kept  a  diary  and  therefore  have 
been  obliged  to  rely  entirely  upon  recollection 
for  my  facts.  I  have  tried  to  be  especially 
careful  as  to  the  accuracy  of  all  dates  given. 
My  wife  has  been  of  great  aid  to  me,  assisting 
in  recalling  events  of  which  she  and  I  alone 
knew.  In  this  connection  I  must  acknowledge 
the  greater  clearness  with  which  she  has  re- 
membered the  occurrences  of  former  days.  I 
am  satisfied  that  this  fact  will  still  more  deeply 
endear  to  our  children  my  narration. 

If  it  seems  proper  that  I  should  apologize  for 
too  frequent  allusions,  by  name,  to  my  business 
friends,  it  must  be  remembered  that  they  have 
been  bound  up  with  my  life  work. 

My  loving  mention  of  those  closest  to  me 
needs  no  excuse.  I  have  only  desired  to  show 
the  affection  in  which  I  hold  them.  To  them 
all  I  say:  let  union  be  your  family  shield;  de- 
votion to  each  other  your  unfailing  motto. 


ANCESTORS 


MY  paternal  grandfather's  name  was 
Koshman  Solomon.  He  was  born  at 
Demmelsdorf  in  1750  and  died  there  in  1808. 
My  paternal  grandmother  was  also  a  native  of 
Demmelsdorf.  She  was  born  in  1756  and  died 
there  in  1820.  My  paternal  grandparents 
both  died  before  I  was  born.  I  have  been  told 
that  my  father's  father  was  an  excellent  and 
highly  respected  man  and  that  my  father's 
mother  was  a  devoted  wife  and  mother,  a  dig- 
nified woman,  but  less  unselfish  than  her  hus- 
band. My  father,  Solomon,  was  born  April 
2,  1788. 

My  one  maternal  great-grandfather  (my 
mother's  mother's  father)  was  Michael  Moses; 
my  other  maternal  great-grandfather  (my 
mother's  father's  father)  was  Moses  Cohen. 
The  former  was  born,  at  Glensdorf,  Bavaria, 
in  1730;  he  was  a  cloth-merchant,  was  well  to 
do  pecuniarily,  and  esteemed  for  fair  and  up- 
right dealings  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died, 
at  his  native  place,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three. 

I 


The  latter  was  born  at  Schneidach,  Bavaria, 
in  1733,  and  died  August  23rd,  181 3. 

My  mother's  father,  Aaron  Cohen,  (spelled 
"Kuhn"  in  my  mother's  marriage  contract) 
was  a  son  of  Moses  Cohen.  He  also  was  born 
at  Schneidach,  in  1758;  he  died  December  8th, 
1830,  at  Demmelsdorf,  Bavaria.  He  was  a 
graduate  of  the  University  of  Prague  and 
was  called  as  a  minister  to  Demmelsdorf,  to 
which  place  he  removed,  and  remained  there  in 
that  capacity,  to  the  end  of  his  life.  He 
was  highly  educated  and  reputed  to  have 
been  a  good  man,  and  an  example  of 
rectitude.  He  married  Conendal  Moses, 
daughter  of  the  above  named  Michael 
Moses.  She  was  born  at  Glensdorf  in  the  year 
1752,  and  died  in  Demmelsdorf  in  1827.  They 
had  two  children,  my  mother,  and  a  son,  Henry. 
The  latter  married  Madeline  Sulsbacher,  a 
widow  (with  children)  and  by  her  had  but  one 
child,  Moses,  who  emigrated,  while  a  young 
man,  to  the  United  States,  to  join  three  step- 
brothers. He  made  his  residence  at  Leaven- 
worth, Kansas,  where  he  died  unmarried,  leav- 
ing my  mother  the  sole  surviving  descendant 
of  Aaron  and  Conendal  Cohen.  My  mother 
was  sometimes  called  Deborah,  at  other  times 
Dorothea.    She  is  named  Dorothea  in  her  mar- 

2 


riage  contract.  My  mother  was  born  at  Dem- 
melsdorf,  January  18th,  1795. 

I  remember  my  grandfather,  Aaron  Cohen. 
Naturally  I  knew  him  only  in  his  declining 
years  when  he  was  somewhat  taciturn.  I  was 
deeply  impressed  by  a  fervent  prayer  of  his 
that,  when  it  should  please  God  to  call  him, 
he  might  be  spared  a  lingering  illness.  His 
prayer  was  granted.  He  was  found  dead  in 
his  bed  one  morning  after  having  retired  the 
previous  evening  in  apparently  good  health.  I 
remember,  too,  an  address  delivered  by  him, 
shortly  before  his  death,  in  1830,  to  some 
young  men  about  to  emigrate  to  the  United 
States.  He  bade  them,  for  their  own  sakes,  if 
for  no  other  reason,  to  so  order  their  transac- 
tions, that,  no  matter  who  might,  by  day  or 
night,  knock  at  their  doors,  their  consciences 
might  be  such  that  they  need  fear  neither  God's 
nor  man's  punishment.  He  told  them  that 
in  the  breast  of  the  honest  and  righteous  man, 
neither  fear  nor  apprehension  had  a  place. 
These  words  were  so  full  of  wisdom  that  I 
have  found  them  an  admirable  guide  through 
life,  well  worthy  of  acceptance,  and  I  repeat 
them  here,  in  order  that  they  may  be  remem- 
bered by  my  descendants. 

I  also  remember  my  grandmother  Conendal 
3 


Cohen.  She  was  a  sweet  and  amiable  woman 
who  endeared  herself  to  all  children  and  was 
called  "Grandmother"  by  every  one.  She  had 
an  ever-smiling  face,  was  gracious  of  man- 
ner, and  kind  of  heart,  and  the  beauty  of  her 
person  and  of  her  mind  will  remain  pleasant 
memories  to  me  until  my  last  hour.  I  have  one 
daughter,  whom  I  will  not  name,  who  seems 
to  unite  in  herself,  but  in  an  intensified  degree, 
all  the  excellent  characteristics  and  charming 
qualities  of  my  grandmother  and  my  mother. 
I  trust  that  she  will  some  day  find  all  that  her 
parents  so  much  love  and  admire  in  her,  repro- 
duced and  intensified  in  her  own  descendants, 
and  that  when  old  age  overtakes  her,  she  may 
be  no  less  proud  of  them  than  her  parents  are  of 
their  ten  children  and  fifteen  grandchildren, 
and  of  those  with  whom  their  married  children 
have  joined  their  lives. 

My  father's  family  had  no  family  name  at 
the  time  of  his  birth.  Nor  do  I  know  whether 
any  of  the  family  names  already  mentioned 
existed  prior  to  1813.  Prior  to  that  date,  the 
custom  prevailed,  among  European  Jews,  of 
giving  to  boys  one  name  only,  with  the  name  of 
the  father  joined  either  with  or  without  a  con- 
necting "ben"  (which  means  "son").  Certain 
it  is  that  my  father,  like  all  Jewish  citizens 

4 


(such  designation  is  perhaps  a  liberty;  of 
Bavaria,  was  compelled.,  under  a  law  passed  in 
1 8 1 3 ,  to  adopt  a  distinctive  family  name.  Act- 
ing under  this  compulsion,  he  adopted  the  name 
Stix.  I  shall  always  feel  grateful  for  that  law 
and  its  enforcement.  It  prevented  the  compli- 
cations and  consequent  confusion,  arising  from 
the  repetition  of  names  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration, which  had  prevailed  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  neither  postman,  court  officials, 
friends  nor  foes,  could  insure  a  communication 
reaching  its  intended  destination.  It  was 
moreover  fortunate  in  securing  for  us  an  in- 
dividuality of  name,  as  my  father,  who  always 
had  an  aversion  to  long  and  unpronounceable 
names,  was  thus  enabled  to  legally  make  his 
own  selection,  and  in  so  doing,  chose  a  name 
which  has  the  merit  of  extreme  brevity  and  en- 
tire originality.  Though  unknown  when  my 
father  appropriated  it.  it  has.  I  have  heard, 
during  the  last  century,  been  adopted  by  sev- 
eral families,  both  in  this  country  and  abroad. 
Yet  it  remained  so  rare  that,  in  1887,  a  cable- 
gram sent  to  me  by  one  of  my  daughters,  from 
Carlsbad.  Bohemia,  addressed  "Stix,  Xew 
York."  reached  me  without  requiring  fuller  ad- 
dress. May  the  name  be  transmitted  in  its 
original  honor,  unsullied  by  any  unworthy  act, 

5 


as  I  received  it  from  my  parents,  and  hand  it  to 
my  descendants,  and  may  it  continue  to  be 
esteemed  no  less  proudly  than  by  those  who 
bore  it  in  my  generation, 

My  father  and  Deborah  Cohen  were  married 
after    overcoming    serious    difficulties.  My 
mother's  father  was  not  a  man  of  means,  and  it 
will  be  readily  understood  that  his  income,  as 
minister  in  a  small  place,  was  necessarily 
meagre.    Though  Deborah  Cohen  was  the 
choice  of  my  father's  heart,  his  mother,  in  view 
of  what  she  considered  his  fine  prospects,  was 
opposed  to  her  son's  union  with  one  who  could 
not  bring  to  him  the  marriage  portion  to  which 
she  considered  him  entitled,  but  which  my 
mother's  parents,  willing  and  anxious  as  they 
were  for  the  union,  were  unable  to  supply. 
My  father,  unable  to  secure  his  mother's  con- 
sent to  a  marriage  with  Deborah  Cohen,  to 
whom   he   was   deeply   devoted,  reluctantly 
yielded  his  own  wishes  to  those  of  his  mother. 
A  short  time  afterwards,  Deborah  Cohen,  con- 
forming to  the  custom  of  the  times,  whereby 
parents  arranged  matrimonial  matters,  induced 
by  the  persuasions  of  her  father,  became  en- 
gaged to  a  young  man  from  Reckendorf,  who 
neither  cared  for  money,  nor  demanded  a  mar- 
riage portion.    It,  however,  reached  Deborah 

6 


Cohen's  ears  that  the  man  to  whom  she  was  en- 
gaged was  an  epileptic.  Through  others,  she 
made  persistent  inquiry  without  securing  con- 
firmation of  the  rumor;  yet  she  was  cautioned 
to  be  on  her  guard.  Time  sped  on,  and  fate 
seemed  to  be  against  her.  The  day  set  for  the 
wedding  arrived.  The  ceremony,  probably  to 
avoid  expense  to  the  bride's  parents,  was  to 
have  taken  place  at  the  bridegroom's  home. 
Thither  the  bride,  her  family  and  friends  went. 
When  everything  was  in  readiness,  and  the 
ceremony  was  about  to  take  place,  the  bride's 
suspicions  were  aroused  by  a  hurried  running 
to  and  fro  in  and  out  of  the  room  where  the 
groom  was  supposed  to  be.  Refusal  being 
made  to  her  demand  for  admittance  to  the 
room,  she  at  once  fled  from  the  house  and  re- 
turned to  her  own  home.  The  result  of  the 
excitement  incident  to  the  occasion  left  no 
doubt  as  to  the  groom's  physical  condition,  and 
the  engagement  was  broken.  A  short  time 
afterwards,  through  mutual  concessions,  the 
former  objections  were  removed,  and  the  mar- 
riage between  my  father  and  Deborah  Cohen 
took  place.  I  still  possess  the  document  which 
provides  for  the  payment  of  my  mother's  mar- 
riage portion  in  stated  instalments  and  at  stated 
times.    From  the  time  of  their  marriage  until 

7 


separated  by  death,  my  parents  were  an  ex- 
tremely happy  and  fortunate  couple.  For  a 
time  they  were  obliged  to  struggle  to  make  both 
ends  meet;  but  by  uniting  energy,  industry, 
frugality  and  economy  they  overcame  pe- 
cuniary disadvantages  and  prospered  beyond 
their  most  sanguine  expectations.  Love  and 
harmony  took  up  their  abode  with  them. 


8 


REMINISCENCES 


WHEN  I  was  but  a  boy  I  remember  see- 
ing my  mother  embraced  by  two  uni- 
formed men.  I  was  told  that  during  the 
famine  of  1816  and  181 7,  we  had  had  neigh- 
bors named  Wasserman,  who  were  so  poor  as 
to  be  without  food.  My  parents,  however, 
having  had  sufficient  means  and  foresight  to 
provide  plentifully  for  themselves,  had  had  the 
good  hearts  to  divide  with  these  neighbors  and 
relieve  their  necessities.  These  two  men,  now 
state  officials,  were  the  sons  of  these  neighbors 
come  to  assure  my  mother  of  their  gratitude. 

My  mother's  nature  was  very  gentle.  Char- 
acteristic of  her  was  her  punishment  of  me  on 
the  only  occasion  when  I  seriously  displeased 
her.  In  her  anger  she  seized  the  first  article 
at  hand,  which  chanced  to  be  a  goose's  wing. 
She  grasped  the  bony  part  and,  with  all  her 
strength,  beat  me  with  the  feather  end.  This 
was  the  severest  punishment  I  ever  received  at 
her  hands. 

My  father  always  stood  for  the  right.  Of 
9 


this  there  were  many  examples,  a  few  of  which 
I  will  narrate.  At  one  time,  a  neighbor  of  ours 
had  been  convicted  of  the  crime  of  robbing  an 
ignorant  farmer,  and  immunity  was  offered 
him  by  the  officials  upon  receipt  by  them  of  a 
certain  sum  of  money,  to  be  collected  in  the 
vicinage.  My  father  was  assessed  for  his 
share  of  this  fund,  but  positively  refused  to 
pay  it,  or  to  do  anything  to  relieve  the  criminal 
from  the  penalty  of  his  crime.  For  this  he 
was  commended  by  all  the  authorities,  other 
than  the  Landrichter,  who  subsequently  was 
caught  in  his  double-dealings  and  sent  to 
prison,  notwithstanding  influential  connec- 
tions. A  similar  instance  follows.  My  father 
owned  the  house  in  which  we  lived  and  had, 
for  years,  with  other  freeholders,  been  obliged 
to  pay  a  small  church  tax,  in  return  for  which 
he  was  permitted  to  send  cattle  to  the  commons 
with  a  herder.  Convinced  that  the  tax  was  an 
unjust  one,  he  fought  it,  alternately  winning 
and  losing,  to  the  highest  court,  and  there  se- 
cured a  final  decision  in  his  favor.  The 
village  unanimously  acknowledged  their  obliga- 
tion to  my  father.  Even  the  "Busaken," 
against  whom  the  fight  had  been  waged,  after 
my  father's  victory,  called  and  congratulated 
my  mother,  whom  the  suit  had  caused  many 

10 


anxious  days  and  sleepless  nights.  When  she 
saw  them  coming  she  supposed  they  had  come 
to  take  possession  of  our  home. 

My  father  traded  in  almost  everything  from 
which  an  honest  gain  could  result.  In  the 
course  of  his  trading,  there  was  once  offered 
him  a  cheap  and  desirable  lot  of  goods  by  a 
stranger  whom  he  discovered  to  be  of  bad 
reputation.  Instead  of  making  the  purchase, 
he  set  a  trap  for  the  seller,  who  turned  out  to 
be  a  dangerous  and  daring  thief.  My  father 
notified  the  authorities  of  his  whereabouts.  He 
was  arrested,  tried  and  convicted,  principally 
on  my  father's  testimony.  When  sentence 
was  about  to  be  passed,  the  prisoner  turned  to 
my  father  and  said:  "I  will  attend  to  you  when 
I  get  out  of  prison."  The  Judge,  who  over- 
heard the  threat,  told  the  prisoner  that  he 
would  give  him  the  longest  sentence  he  could, 
and  regretted  that  he  had  not  the  power  to 
make  it  for  life,  while  he  complimented  my 
father  for  his  aid  in  bringing  the  criminal  to 
justice. 

I  attended  school  at  Demmelsdorf.  I  do  not 
remember  at  what  age  my  school-days  began, 
but  I  continued  in  attendance  until  I  was  about 
fourteen  years  old.  I  was  neither  partial  to 
my  teacher  nor  was  I  a  favorite  of  his.  He 

II 


caused,  in  my  childish  mind,  an  aversion  that 
has  never  been  obliterated,  and,  although  I  bore 
him  no  malice,  the  sense  of  wrong  has 
remained.  It  had  its  origin  in  this  incident. 
I  was  one  of  a  party  of  children  who  went  in 
search  of  huckleberries,  in  company  with  the 
teacher;  we  each  had  a  large  basket  and  also 
carried  a  small  pail  in  which  to  gather  the 
berries.  I  had  worked  so  energetically  that  I 
was  the  first  to  fill  my  basket,  but  it  was  inti- 
mated wrongfully  by  some  of  my  companions 
that  I  had  stolen  some  from  their  baskets.  I 
appealed  for  vindication  to  the  teacher.  In- 
stead of  asserting  my  innocence,  of  which  he 
was  fully  aware,  he  sided  against  me  and  called 
me  by  an  opprobrious  name.  My  aversion  was 
confirmed  by  his  preference  for  scholars  whose 
parents  had  means.  I  charged  him  with  this 
on  an  occasion  when,  for  a  trivial  offense,  he 
whipped  a  poor  boy  brutally.  I  told  him  pub- 
licly, at  the  time,  that,  had  the  boy  been  the 
child  of  rich  parents,  he  would  never  have 
dared  to  administer  such  severe  punishment. 
For  this  remark  I  was  ordered  before  the  whole 
school  for  punishment,  but,  instead  of  obeying 
his  command,  I  left  the  school-room.  For  so 
leaving,  my  father  punished  me,  but  he  recog- 
nized the  justice  of  my  attitude  and  took  my 

12 


part,  and,  from  that  day,  the  teacher  was  more 
afraid  of  me  than  I  of  him.  In  after  years, 
when  requested  by  one  of  his  former  pupils,  a 
resident  of  Cincinnati,  in  which  city  the  teacher 
died,  to  contribute  to  a  fund  for  the  erection 
of  a  tombstone  to  his  memory,  I  offered  to  de- 
fray the  entire  expense  of  such  tombstone  on 
condition  that  the  truth  be  inscribed  upon  it. 
My  offer  was  never  accepted. 

During*  my  school-days  life-long  friend- 
ships were  formed.  As  early  as  1832,  in  imi- 
tation of  a  vow  between  two  brothers,  which 
we  read  of,  Henry  Mack  and  I  vowed  eternal 
friendship.  Each  of  us,  now  beyond  seventy 
years  of  age,  is  still  true  to  the  compact  of  our 
early  days.  We  expect  to  die  as  we  have  lived, 
firm  in  our  friendship. 

Naturally  I  had  my  home  occupations.  The 
children  performed  all  the  chores  about  the 
house  most  cheerfully,  regarding  them  as  a  pas- 
time and  recreation.  Among  our  duties  was 
that  of  gathering  fuel  for  heating  and  cooking 
purposes.  We  obtained  it  in  the  forest  on  the 
hill  which  overlooked  the  town.  During  the 
winters,  which  were  long  and  severe,  we  coasted 
with  our  loads  from  the  woods  to  our  home. 
We  always  owned  a  goat,  and  so  we  had  milk, 
cheese  and  sometimes  butter,  almost  as  though 

13 


we  had  a  cow.  As  fodder  for  the  goat,  we 
gathered  green  leaves  during  the  summer,  and 
followed  the  farmers  through  the  fields  gather- 
ing what  they  failed  to  collect.  We  assisted 
our  mother  in  domestic  matters.  We  chopped 
the  wood,  ran  her  errands,  carried  the  water 
for  the  household,  washed  the  dishes,  aided  her 
in  cleaning  floors,  preparing  vegetables  and 
other  food,  and  generally  did  whatever  we 
could  to  lighten  her  labors.  Often  do  I  recall 
my  mother's  sweetness  of  disposition  and  do- 
mestic womanly  virtues.  She  brought  up  her 
ten  children  without  even  a  servant  or  any  as- 
sistance, and  distinguished  herself  for  her 
neatness  and  cleanliness  as  a  housekeeper.  It 
is  really  marvelous  how  she  managed  so  beauti- 
fully and  successfully  under  all  circumstances. 
Our  attendance  at  school  was,  however,  never 
permitted  to  be  interfered  with  in  the  least  by 
these  duties,  our  parents  being  particular  that 
we  should  lose  none  of  the  educational  advan- 
tages which  were  at  hand. 

It  was  during  those  years  that  mother  re- 
ceived a  legacy  amounting  to  several  hundred 
dollars,  bequeathed  to  her  by  a  relative  at 
Glensdorf,  from  the  hands  of  a  stranger  to 
whom  it  had  been  entrusted  by  the  relative,  but 
who  had  detained  it  until,  constrained  by  her 

14 


priest's  refusal  of  absolution,  she  paid  it  over. 
The  payment  was  providential,  for  shortly 
after,  my  father  was  taken  ill  with  fever  and 
ague,  and  did  not  recover  for  a  full  year,  and, 
during  this  period,  this  money  provided  com- 
forts which  otherwise  would  not  have  been  pos- 
sible. I  remember  distinctly  being  frequently 
sent  to  procure  small  change  for  the  Prussian 
dollars  which  made  up  this  sum. 

My  mother,  too,  in  1836,  was  attacked  by  a 
severe  illness,  which  caused  her  excruciating 
pains  and  which  was  supposed  to  be  rheuma- 
tism. She  was  bent  and  crippled.  Medical 
authority,  consulted  from  near  and  far,  con- 
curred in  the  decision  that  it  was  incurable. 
One  physician  stated  that  the  Main  would 
flow  over  the  mountain  peaks  sooner  than  that 
my  mother  would  recover  the  power  of  walk- 
ing erect.  A  medical  student,  without  di- 
ploma, and  not  entitled  to  practice,  saw  her, 
expressed  a  belief  that  he  could  help  her.  was 
permitted  to  treat  her,  and  in  a  short  time  cured 
her  completely. 

It  was  during  my  school-days  that  the  title 
"Kosher"  Louis  was  given  me.  I  will  jot 
down  a  few  of  the  incidents  which  gave  it  to 
me.  My  brother  Carl  was  telling  tales  about 
me  at  the  table.    I  told  him  to  stop  and,  when 

15 


he  did  not,  I,  in  the  presence  of  our  father, 
threw  a  fork  at  him,  which  struck  him  in  the 
face.  Each  for  himself  may  picture  what  hap- 
pened to  me  after  that.  On  another  occasion, 
while  I  was  splitting  wood  at  the  chopping 
block,  Moses  Herman,  who  lived  in  the  upper 
story  of  our  house,  persisted  in  putting  his 
hand  in  the  way,  to  prevent  me  from  chopping. 
I  kept  on  and  chopped  into  his  hand,  though 
not  severely.  To  avoid  his  vengeance  I 
climbed  into  our  stable  loft  and  drew  up  after 
me  the  ladder  by  which  I  had  mounted.  There 
I  remained  until  my  descent  was  made  safely. 
On  another  occasion,  while  the  teacher  was  ab- 
sent from  the  school-room,  I  put  a  burning 
coal  on  the  palm  of  a  boy  named  Stadler;  re- 
taining the  coal  in  his  hand  he  made  complaint 
to  the  returning  teacher,  who  leisurely  ques- 
tioned him  as  to  the  culprit  and  then  said  with 
deliberation,  "You  may  throw  it  off."  The 
teacher  punished  me  only  slightly;  but  my 
father  settled  with  me  more  severely — nor  was 
this  the  only  one  of  my  transgressions  which 
provoked  his  correction. 

Another  incident,  which  might  have  resulted 
seriously,  looms  up  from  my  boyhood  days. 
My  father  had  a  butcher's  knife  which  I  was 

16 


strictly  forbidden  to  use.  Naturally  I  used  it 
secretly.  On  one  occasion,  while  at  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town  having  the  knife  in  my  hand, 
I  met  a  number  of  children.  As  soon  as  they 
saw  me  they  started  to  run  and  shout.  Think- 
ing something  had  happened,  I  hurried  after 
to  inquire  the  cause  of  their  terror.  The  faster 
they  ran  and  the  louder  their  shouts,  the 
quicker  I  followed,  all  unconscious  that  I,  with 
knife  in  hand,  was  the  cause  of  their  fright  and 
flight.  As  they  reached  their  own  doors  and 
excitedly  talked  to  their  people,  I  found  myself 
in  front  of  a  jeweler's  shop,  the  proprietor  of 
which  was  a  friend  of  my  father.  He  advised 
me  to  leave  promptly,  as  he  knew  those  children 
had  been  taught  that  Jews  kill  Christian 
children.  Such  was  the  bitter  feeling  caused 
by  the  report  of  these  children  to  their  elders, 
that  I  considered  myself  extremely  fortunate 
to  have  escaped  unharmed. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen,  by  my  own  choice, 
I  was  bound  out  for  three  years,  as  an  appren- 
tice to  a  glazier — a  trade  differing  materially 
in  Europe  from  that  commonly  designated 
by  the  same  term  in  the  United  States.  We 
made  sashes,  all  kinds  of  wood-work,  some 
lead  and  iron  trimmings,  and  set  painted  win- 

17 


dows  and  other  windows,  and  did  other  similar 
work.  I  served  the  full  three  years,  applying 
myself  faithfully  to  learning  the  trade. 

While  serving  this  apprenticeship  I  learned, 
through  persons  who  solemnly  asserted  they 
had  seen  it,  that  there  was  a  ghost  to  be  seen 
nightly,  between  twelve  and  one  o'clock,  at  a 
place  halfway  between  Schleslitz  and  Dem- 
melsdorf .  I  went  there,  timing  myself  so  as  to 
reach  the  place  a  little  after  midnight,  but  the 
ghost  failed  to  appear.  However,  in  passing 
the  house  adjoining  our  own,  which  was  re- 
puted to  be  haunted,  and  for  that  reason  had 
been  sold  at  half  its  value,  I  saw  a  figure  stand- 
ing in  front  of  the  third-story  window  and 
shouted  at  it  to  receive  the  prompt  reply  "If 
you  do  not  hurry  away,  I  will  make  you."  It 
proved  to  be  a  young  man,  mounted  on  a  lad- 
der, indulging  in  the  common  pastime  of  court- 
ing. Reaching  home,  my  mother,  whom  I 
found  engaged  in  mangling  clothes,  anxiously 
inquired  of  me,  because  of  my  pallor,  if  I  had 
been  sick.  I  wonder  whether  I  was  fright- 
ened ! 

During  my  apprenticeship  I  made  my  first 
speculative  venture.  It  was  in  English  wal- 
nuts. My  father  had  sent  me  to  buy  a  small 
quantity.    After  lengthy  fruitless  search,  I 

18 


A  GLAZIER'S  APPRENTICE 
IN  FRONT  OF  THE  DEMMELSDORF  HOME 


found  a  man  who  had  for  sale  a  large  quantity 
at  a  much  lower  figure  than  I  had  expected  to 
pay,  but  who  refused  to  sell  less  than  all.  I 
bought  the  lot  as  a  wonderful  bargain.  My 
father,  when  he  learned  the  source  of  the  pur- 
chase, and  the  price  paid,  declared  it  a  swindle 
and,  true  enough,  they  proved  worthless  for 
table  use.  But  my  expected  profit  had, to  be 
made.  I  took  the  nuts  to  the  county  seat  and 
sold  about  an  eighth  of  them  and  shipped  the 
balance  to  Bamberg  and,  arriving  there  at  mid- 
night, I  ordered  the  nuts  taken  to  the  yearly 
"Markt,"  then  about  to  open.  The  Main  had 
frozen  over,  so  that  few  nuts  were  in  the  mar- 
ket, and  I  soon  found  a  purchaser,  at  an  excel- 
lent advance,  who  was  without  any  ready 
money,  but  who  furnished  me  references  and 
promised  payment  at  the  bank  when  it  opened 
the  following  morning  at  ten  o'clock.  My  pur- 
chaser, too,  found  a  ready  sale  and,  while  he 
failed  to  take  me  to  the  bank  as  promised, 
paid  me  the  purchase  price  out  of  his  receipts. 
I  spent  part  of  my  profits  in  buying  my  mother 
a  silk  umbrella,  glad  to  be  able  to  contribute 
to  her  pleasure  by  means  of  money  gained  out 
of  a  business  venture. 

The  only  sum  which  I  gave  my  mother 
(other  than  later  on  for  charities  she  was  in- 

19 


terested  in)  was  during  my  apprenticeship,  out 
of  my  small  earnings,  when  I  heard  my  father 
jokingly  say  he  would  not  pay  a  bill  which  she 
owed  for  some  goods,  bought  at  auction,  from 
the  estate  of  Isaac  Mack,  father  of  Moses  Mack. 
I  came  to  my  mother's  rescue  and  paid  the  bill, 
assuring  her  that  all  I  should  ever  have  would 
be  at  her  disposal.  The  materials  purchased 
were  intended  for  clothes  for  my  brother  Wil- 
liam, who  was  then  expected  to  make  his  ap- 
pearance, and  the  amount  paid  was  about  one 
dollar,  if  my  memory  serves  me  rightly.  I 
think  he  should  pay  this  sum  with  interest  from 
1837,  and,  if  my  estate's  lawyers  will  collect  it 
without  charge,  I  hope  my  estate  will  not  be 
deprived  of  this  money. 

My  father  was  a  religious  man  and  had  posi- 
tively forbidden  me  to  extend  my  work  beyond 
the  hour  when  the  Sabbath  set  in,  and  insisted 
that  I  reach  home  by  that  time.  Once  I  failed 
in  this  while  engaged  at  work  on  a  church 
which  the  trustees  required  to  be  finished  so 
that  service  might  be  held  in  it  on  the  following 
Sunday.  I  overworked  and  overstayed  my 
time,  but  unconsciously.  Feeling  unhappy  at 
the  annoyance  I  would  cause,  I  returned  home 
with  the  determination  to  account  for  my  delay, 
and  avoid  a  reprimand,  by  the  fictitious  story 

20 


that  a  certain  glazier,  known  by  my  father  to 
be  hostile  to  me,  had  lain  in  ambush  with  the 
intent  of  breaking  my  glass  and  giving  me  a 
thrashing  and  that,  in  avoiding  him,  I  had  lost 
my  way  and  thus  been  detained.  My  mother 
accepted  my  story  unhesitatingly;  my  father, 
not  so  credulous,  decided  to  investigate..  I 
feigned  sickness  that  evening  to  avoid  further 
explanation  and,  though  hungry  as  a  wolf, 
went  to  bed  without  eating.  After  my  father 
had  retired,  my  mother,  always  tender  and  con- 
siderate, insisted  upon  my  trying  to  take 
nourishment,  and  I  tried  and  succeeded. 
When  my  father  again  visited  the  place  at 
which  I  worked,  he  found  out  the  hour  at 
which  I  had  stopped  work  and  made  me  promise 
that  I  would  never  again  break  his  rule  so  long 
as  I  remained  under  his  roof.  I  faithfully 
kept  that  promise. 

Father  also  inculcated  in  us  religious  pre- 
cepts and  principles.  With  some  of  his  chil- 
dren he  succeeded  admirably,  for  they  accepted 
his  wise  instruction  without  a  question;  but  I 
was  not  so  willing  to  follow  his  teachings.  At 
a  very  early  age,  long  before  my  confirmation, 
I  began  to  think  for  myself  in  such  matters, 
and  although  otherwise  an  obedient  son,  yet 
I  claimed  rather  precociously  and  persistently 

21 


the  right  to  my  own  opinions.  As  a  sep- 
tuagenarian, I  still  cling  tenaciously  to  ideas 
and  views  formed  in  early  life.  Though  often 
regretting  my  inability  in  not  having  given  un- 
alloyed pleasure  in  this  respect,  to  parents  so 
deserving  of  perfect  obedience,  I  now  realize, 
on  mature  reflection,  that  there  was  a  vein  of 
wilfulness  running  through  my  nature,  in- 
herited from  my  dear  father,  which  may  ac- 
count for  my  opposition  to  some  of  the  outward 
forms  and  ceremonies  he  so  earnestly  advocated 
and  desired  us  to  adopt.  Regardless  of  re- 
ligious forms,  I  judged  for  myself  what  was 
right  or  wrong.  While  my  father  was  at  first 
opposed  to  my  ideas,  he  nevertheless,  at  a  later 
day,  conceded  to  me,  that  in  this  respect,  I 
might  judge  for  myself,  and  was,  moreover, 
willing  that  his  children  should  do  what  they 
considered  right ;  thus  exhibiting  his  unlimited 
confidence  in  them. 

I  have  ever  believed  that  true  morality  and 
true  religious  sentiment  could  be  condensed  and 
embodied  in  the  laconic  maxim — "Do  unto 
others  as  you  wish  others  to  do  unto  you." 
There  are  hypocrites  who  pretend  to  be  what 
they  are  not,  who  go  to  church  regularly,  pray 
early  and  late,  loud  and  long,  who  neither  steal 
nor  rob,  yet  signally  fail  to  follow  this  test 

22 


principle  as  old  as  the  world  itself.  My  dear 
parents,  however,  were  not  such  dissemblers. 
They  practiced  constantly  in  daily  life  their 
professions,  proving  themselves  shining  ex- 
amples of  piety,  goodness  and  benevolence. 

Their  lives  were  saddened  by  the  loss  of  three 
dear  children,  who  died  in  Europe.  Brother 
Herman,  born  in  1818,  was  the  first  one  to  be 
taken  from  them.  I  was  four  years  old  at  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1825  but,  strangely  enough, 
I  remember  very  little  about  him,  excepting 
the  practical  fact  that  I  afterwards  wore  his 
clothes.  Sister  Aurelia,  born  in  1824,  and  re- 
garded by  all  as  the  brightest  and  most  promis- 
ing of  our  number,  died  of  smallpox  in  1835. 
Sarah,  born  in  1833,  died  on  February  9th, 
1844.  It  was  a  strange  and  painful  coinci- 
dence that  our  eldest  brother,  Charles,  passed 
away  in  America  on  the  same  day,  both  vic- 
tims of  the  smallpox.  I  had  this  dreadful 
disease  myself,  but  recovered  without  any 
marks,  although  I  was  imprudent  and  indis- 
creet. 

Brother  Charles,  though  deficient  in  busi- 
ness talent,  was  such  a  perfect  pattern  of  no- 
bility of  character,  that  he  was  an  excellent 
example  for  his  brothers  to  follow.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  was  engaged  to  a  Miss 

23 


Fechheimer,  who  afterwards  became  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Jacob  Elsas. 

The  double  affliction,  the  loss  of  her  eldest 
son  and  youngest  daughter,  seemed  more  than 
dear  mother  could  endure.  She  grieved  so 
deeply  that  she  became  ill  and  emaciated, 
wasting  away  to  an  alarming  extent.  When 
I  left  home  she  weighed  about  165  pounds, 
but  she  had  lost  so  much  flesh  that  three  years 
later,  when  she  reached  America,  she  looked 
like  a  skeleton,  shriveled  and  wrinkled;  a  sad 
spectacle  indeed  for  loving  eyes  to  greet,  when 
I  welcomed  her. 

I  strove  to  be  at  home  as  much  as  possible. 
I  walked  hours  by  night  to  accomplish  this. 
I  remember  once,  in  1838,  walking  homeward 
by  moonlight  and  reaching  home  before  sun- 
rise and  rinding  both  my  parents  up,  and,  after 
breakfasting  with  them,  walking  with  my 
father  a  distance  of  twelve  miles  to  the  village 
at  which  I  was  then  engaged  on  work. 

Occasionally  I  visited  Bayreuth  to  replenish 
my  stock  of  glass.  My  ambition  there  was  a 
feast  of  Bratwurst  at  the  "Markt."  I  remem- 
ber once  being  defeated  in  satisfying  this  crav- 
ing by  my  master's  brother  who  detained  me 
at  the  hotel  entrusting  to  me  his  well-stuffed 
money  belt,  a  trust  which  prevented  me  from 

24 


going  out  and  which  also  prevented  me  from 
sleeping,  with  the  result  that  I  made  up  my 
mind  never  again  to  be  the  custodian  of  an- 
other's money.  I  fared  better  once  at  Worms, 
where  I  was  engaged  in  finishing  some  work, 
and  where,  at  the  hotel  at  which  my  father  was 
then  stopping,  the  only  vacant  room  was  used 
for  the  storage  of  fresh  sausages.  I  was  given 
this  room  for  the  night  and,  on  the  following 
morning,  the  landlord's  daughter  remarked  to 
me  that  the  next  time  I  came  as  guest,  they 
would  put  my  father  in  the  room  with  the 
sausages.  I,  for  my  part,  had  determined, 
with  the  sausage  room  in  mind,  to  live,  when- 
ever I  came  to  Worms,  on  the  European  plan. 

My  brother  Carl  preceded  me  to  the  United 
States.  He  had  left  home  in  1837,  when  about 
of  age,  and  gone  to  Hamburg,  where  he  worked 
three  years  at  his  trade,  which  was  that  of 
butcher.  He  had  determined  to  emigrate  with 
some  young  friends  and  returned  home  to  bid 
farewell  to  his  dear  ones.  When  he  reached 
his  home  he  addressed  my  mother,  in  the  cus- 
tomary manner  of  journeyman,  with  "Ein 
Wanderbursch  bittet  um  einen  Zehnpfennig." 
My  mother  gave  him  a  small  coin,  but  noticing 
that  he  lingered,  requested  one  of  the  children 
to  ask  him  to  our  meal.    He  gladly  accepted 

25 


the  invitation  but,  being  too  overcome  by  emo- 
tion to  eat,  my  mother  remarked:  "I  suppose 
you  have  been  brought  up  at  a  better  table 
than  we  can  offer  you,"  and  he  replied,  "I 
was  raised  on  the  same  kind  of  food ;  and  you, 
my  dear  mother,  have  you  forgotten  your  son 
Carl?"  My  mother  regarded  this  day  as  one 
of  the  happiest  of  her  life. 

I  completed  my  period  of  apprenticeship, 
and,  having  passed  my  examination,  com- 
menced on  my  own  account,  under  a  master, 
with  the  fixed  determination,  however,  of  emi- 
grating to  the  United  States  at  the  earliest  pos- 
sible moment.  To  get  the  required  certificate, 
I  left  my  "Wanderbuch"  with  a  master- 
glazier  in  Fasselshoff,  whence  I  expected  to 
start.  I  arranged  with  him  that  he  would 
certify  my  living  and  working  there  from  the 
day  the  book  was  handed  him,  but  owing  to 
his  being  detected  in  a  like  irregularity,  and  the 
threat  of  punishment  if  again  guilty  thereof, 
this  arrangement  came  to  naught.  With 
seventeen  others  I  had  already  engaged  pas- 
sage to  the  United  States  from  Bremen.  The 
greater  number  of  these  had  hired  a  conveyance 
to  take  them  and  their  baggage  to  that  port. 
Moses  Herman,  Max  Stadler  and  I  had  ar- 
ranged to  go  on  foot.    In  order  to  avoid  deten- 

26 


tion  by  the  authorities,  I  had  to  pose  as  a 
journeyman,  and  I  went  back  to  Fasselshoff  for 
my  Wanderbuch,  agreeing  to  meet  my  com- 
panions at  Coburg  at  a  fixed  date.  From  Fas- 
selshoff  I  went  to  Demmelsdorf,  and  there  said 
farewell  to  those  dear  to  me.  My  father  ac- 
companied me  for  nine  miles.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  sorrow  of  parting,  I  left  my  parents 
with  a  light  heart,  feeling  confident  that  it 
would  not  be  long  before,  with  the  aid  of  my 
brother  Carl,  who  had  already  sent  home 
money,  and  with  the  aid  of  my  brother  Henry, 
who  contemplated  joining  us  the  following 
year,  we  would  be  of  substantial  assistance  to 
our  parents.  With  the  exception  of  my  im- 
mediate family,  no  tie  bound  me  to  my  native 
place.  My  sole  wish,  as  I  entered  the  old  fa- 
miliar woods,  (never  again  seen  by  me)  was 
to  earn  a  living  and  find  a  home  for  those  dear 
ones  who  would  follow  me.  I  hoped  never  to 
be  obliged  to  return  to  the  land  where,  at  best, 
the  people  of  my  race  and  creed  were  only 
tolerated.  I  was  absolutely  devoid  of  any  sense 
of  loyalty  to  the  country  I  was  leaving.  From 
the  time  I  first  became  conscious  of  any  political 
opinions  my  tendency  was  in  direct  opposition 
to  monarchical  rule,  and  I  favored  a  free  re- 
publican government,  where  certain  forms  of 

27 


religious  belief  were  not  essential  to  civil  priv- 
ileges and  liberty.  My  native  land  did  not 
claim  my  affection,  because  its  laws  deprived 
me  of  those  privileges  which  should  be  the  in- 
alienable rights  of  mankind;  and,  when  I  left 
it,  I  solemnly  vowed  never  again  to  tread  that 
soil  where,  according  to  my  view,  I  was  almost 
a  slave.  Knowing  that  I  could  not  secure  of- 
ficial counter-signature  to  the  papers  necessary 
for  my  emigration,  owing  to  the  harsh  military 
law,  obedience  to  which  I  felt  I  did  not  owe, 
I  resorted  to  the  expedient  of  forging  what  was 
essential  to  pass  me  along,  and  this  at  the  risk 
of  imprisonment,  if  detected.  Such,  however, 
was  my  anxiety  to  get  away  that  I  was  ready 
to  take  any  risk.  The  forgery  was  accom- 
plished by  me  at  the  house  of  the  sister  of 
Simons,  a  former  resident  of  Demmelsdorf, 
and  later  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  This  lady  was 
in  great  fear  of  being  arrested  as  an  accom- 
plice. I  was  then,  and  ever  since  have  been, 
proud  of  the  act. 

At  the  first  place  I  passed  through,  on  my 
tramp  to  Coburg,  I  presented  my  papers  and 
they  were  accepted  and  countersigned  by  the 
proper  official,  giving  me  the  right  to  enter 
Lichtenfels,  to  which  place  I  went,  and  there 
received  an  unexpected  welcome  at  the  hands 

28 


of  an  elderly  maiden  lady  by  the  name  of  Ba- 
bette  Griffit,  a  resident,  with  whom  I  was  un- 
acquainted, but  who  mentioned  my  brother 
Carl's  name  and  introduced  herself  to  me.  She 
showed  me  the  way  to  the  Court-house  where 
I  had  to  have  my  papers  countersigned.  Not- 
withstanding my  efforts  to  reach  there  before 
closing-time,  the  clerk,  whose  duty  it  was  to 
sign,  was  about  to  lock  up.  He  made  inquiry 
of  me  why  I  was  so  late  and,  upon  my  giving 
him  some  reasonable  excuse,  returned  to  his 
desk  and  countersigned  for  me.  Miss  Griffit 
insisted  upon  taking  me  home  with  her,  where 
an  excellent  meal  was  in  readiness.  Although 
entirely  without  food  that  day,  I  was  unable  to 
eat  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  resume  my 
journey.  She  packed  up  sufficient  food  to  last 
me  halfway  to  the  ocean  and  I  started  towards 
Coburg  at  once,  eating  en  route.  Later  this 
good  woman  resided  with  her  sister  Hannah, 
and  it  was  my  privilege  and  pleasure,  as  well 
as  that  of  my  brother  Henry,  to  relieve  their 
necessities,  when  they  became  poor  and  needy. 

I  reached  Coburg  in  due  course,  where  I 
met  Herman  and  Stadler,  and  together  we 
walked  by  way  of  Hildburghausen,  Erfurt,  and 
Fiirsten.  We  received  many  kind  attentions 
on  the  way  from  our  co-religionists,  being  fre- 

29 


quently  invited  to  meals,  and  to  pass  the  Sab- 
bath and  holidays  at  their  homes.  At  Bremen- 
Lee  we  were  entertained  by  the  president  of 
the  congregation.  He  supplied  me  with  an 
old  suit  of  clothes  so  that  I  might  not  appear 
as  a  stranger,  (my  own  clothes  were  unmis- 
takably those  of  a  country  lad)  advised  me 
what  hotel  to  stop  at  in  Bremen,  and  kindly 
permitted  me  to  refer  to  him  there.  I  entered 
Bremen  with  a  pair  of  torn  boots  in  my  hand, 
as  if  in  search  of  a  shoemaker.  In  this  way  I 
was  able,  without  difficulty,  to  enter  Bremen, 
which  was  a  free  town,  and  into  such  towns 
the  rules  printed  in  my  Wanderbuch  prohibited 
me  from  entering.  I  found  the  hotel  to  which 
I  had  been  directed.  The  proprietor  obliged 
me  to  register  and  then  sent  me  up-stairs, 
where  I  was  followed  by  an  official  who  de- 
manded to  see  me.  When  he  entered  the  room 
he  found  nearly  all  of  the  money  which  I  had, 
spread  out  on  the  table,  and,  while  I  looked 
in  an  opposite  direction  helped  himself  to  a 
good  portion  of  it.  I  passed  his  investigation 
satisfactorily.  Still  I  was  anxious  to  get  away 
and,  that  same  day,  started  for  Bremerhaven, 
where  the  ship,  on  which  my  passage  was  en- 
gaged, was  in  dock.  I  found  the  ship  and 
went  aboard  at  once.    As  I  stepped  upon  her 

30 


deck  I  was  accosted  by  the  same  official  who 
had  called  on  me  at  the  hotel  and  he  demanded 
my  passport.  I  told  him  that  he  had  just  seen 
it,  and  he  permitted  me  to  go  aboard  three  days 
before  my  companions  arrived  at  Bremerhaven. 
Fortunately  I  found  the  captain  and  owner  at 
once,  and  was  permitted  to  remain  on  board. 
Upon  my  promise  to  assist  in  calking  and 
painting  the  ship,  the  captain  volunteered  to 
buy  me  a  suit  such  as  painters  wear.  The  cap- 
tain's name  was  Wessel.  The  name  of  the 
ship  was  Alert.  My  memory  in  this  respect 
has  remained  fresh  because  of  my  recollection 
of  one  morning  finding,  pasted  all  over  the 
ship,  lines  which  ran,  in  part,  as  follows: 
"Bruder,  wie  gefallt  es  dir,  auf  dem  grossen 
Alert  hier,  Capitan  Wessel,  Steuermann  Essel." 
Three  or  four  days  after  I  went  aboard  the 
vessel  sailed,  my  companions  having  joined  me. 
True  to  my  promise,  I  painted  the  vessel  from 
the  water's  edge  to  the  top-mast,  and  from 
stern  to  stem.  Being  skilled  at  the  work  and 
able  to  make  my  own  putty,  I  calked  the  seams 
better  than  any  one  else  on  board  could  have 
done  it.  The  captain  was  well  inclined  to- 
wards me;  so  was  the  crew.  When  drinking 
water  was  scarce  I  could  always  get  an  abun- 
dant supply  for  my  friends  and  myself.    I  was 

31 


supplied  with  food,  and  so  I  was  able  to  dis- 
tribute the  provisions  with  which  I  had  pro- 
vided myself  on  land  among  those  who  were 
sorely  in  need  of  them,  and  they  were  truly 
thankful  for  what  they  received. 

The  passage  was  uneventful.  Forty-three 
days  after  leaving  Bremerhaven  I  landed  at 
New  York  City.  My  effects  were  examined 
and  passed  customs  inspection  without  any 
duty  being  imposed.  The  captain  took  me  to 
his  hotel  and  sought  to  have  me  remain  and 
return  with  him,  promising  me  a  position  as 
soon  as  he  dared  consistently  to  appoint  me. 
But  I  had  come  to  the  United  States  to  remain. 

My  companions  and  I  passed  the  first  day  on 
shore  in  seeing  the  sights  of  New  York.  We 
found  friends  and  acquaintances  and  were  re- 
ceived by  all  of  them  with  good  will  and  hos- 
pitality. We  were  offered  money,  more  than 
sufficient  for  our  wants,  by  at  least  six  different 
persons;  among  others  by  Meyer  Wald. 
Among  those  friends  whom  we  found,  were 
our  fellow-townsmen  Abraham  and  Henry 
Mack,  brothers.  After  a  brief  sojourn  in 
New  York  we  started  for  Cincinnati.  Abra- 
ham Mack,  who  had  been  in  the  United  States 
for  some  years  and  spoke  English,  made  all 
the  arrangements  for  our  trip  westward,  and 

32 


accompanied  us  to  Cincinnati,  at  all  times  show- 
ing all  of  us  that  gentlemanly  courtesy  for 
which  he  was  well-known.  From  New  York 
we  went  up  the  Hudson  River  to  Albany  by 
steamboat;  from  Albany  to  Schenectady  we 
traveled  by  rail,  and  we  made  our  way  from 
the  last  named  place  to  Buffalo  by  canal-boat. 
The  captain  of  the  canal-boat  had  contracted 
with  us  to  reach  Buffalo  to  make  connection 
with  a  certain  boat  which  was  to  convey  us 
across  Lake  Erie  to  Cleveland,  but  he  failed 
to  make  the  connection  and  we  felt  seriously 
inconvenienced  by  the  consequent  delay,  and 
Mr.  Mack  threatened  to  sue  the  captain.  While 
waiting,  however,  for  the  next  boat,  the  news 
reached  us  that  the  boat  which  we  had  intended 
to  take  had  been,  while  crossing  the  lake,  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  and  that  most  of  its  passengers, 
including  many  who  had  crossed  the  ocean 
with  us  as  well  as  other  immigrants,  had  per- 
ished. We  deemed  our  escape  almost  provi- 
dential, and  did  not  sue  the  captain  of  the 
canal-boat.  We  took  the  next  scheduled  boat 
across  the  lake  and,  when  we  arrived  at  Dun- 
kirk, an  immense  crowd  met  us  inquiring  for 
friends  and  relatives.  It  was  a  heart-rending 
scene,  these  stricken  mourners,  grieving  over 
the  loss  of  fathers,  mothers  and  other  dear 

33 


ones.  It  was  the  saddest  and  most  pitiful  spec- 
tacle I  ever  witnessed.  At  every  landing  we 
made  there  was  a  repetition  of  misery. 

From  Cleveland  we  journeyed  by  canal  to 
Portsmouth,  Ohio,  passing  Chillicothe,  where 
three  step-brothers  of  the  only  cousin  we  had 
on  the  maternal  side  were  living.  At  Ports- 
mouth, we  met  Mr.  Kornblieth,  a  merchant 
whose  destination  was  the  same  as  our  own, 
Cincinnati.  We  stopped  at  the  same  hotel  as 
he  did,  and  found  his  family  very  kind  and 
hospitable.  They  did  all  in  their  power  to 
make  amends  for  the  absence  of  our  parents 
and  supplied  their  place  to  the  best  of  their  abil- 
ity. The  friendship  then  established  has  been 
of  life-long  duration. 


34 


BROTHER  CARL  and  Martin  Stadler 
were  partners.  They  went  through  the 
country  with  a  wagon,  selling  goods.  Max 
Stadler  and  I  also  entered  into  a  similar  busi- 
ness arrangement,  and  with  him  I  formed  my 
first  partnership.  We  went  about  on  foot,  vis- 
iting the  rural  districts.  Max,  who  was  very 
industrious  and  a  hard  working  man,  sold  more 
goods  and  carried  a  larger  bundle  than  the 
writer.  He  took  the  liberty,  without  consult- 
ing me,  of  buying  a  horse.  I  at  once  insisted 
on  a  dissolution  of  the  partnership.  While 
he  used  every  argument  to  persuade  me  to 
keep  the  firm  together,  I  would  not  consent; 
so  we  parted,  remaining  friends.  I  outbid  my 
partner  when  dissolving,  so  that  a  considerable 
profit  accrued  to  the  firm.  Max  was  willing 
that  I  should  become  the  owner  of  the  horse, 
as  he  had  already  made  up  his  mind  to  purchase 
a  pair.  With  these,  and  a  new  wagon,  he  in- 
creased his  business  to  quite  an  extent. 

In  1841  I  first  crossed  the  state  line  from 
Ohio  into  Indiana.    A  merchant,  named  Mr. 

35 


Johns,  who  kept  a  store  not  far  from  his  resi- 
dence, demanded  to  see  my  license.  I  pre- 
tended I  did  not  understand  his  request,  and 
kept  on  showing  him  my  goods.  Knowing 
that  there  were  Germans  in  the  neighborhood, 
I  pretended  to  be  French ;  whereupon  he  called 
his  son,  a  young  man  just  from  college,  to 
interpret  my  unintelligible  jargon.  The  boy 
knew  about  as  much  French  as  I  did,  but,  as  I 
had  a  slight  knowledge  of  Hebrew,  I  repeated 
some  words  to  his  great  confusion.  He  as- 
sured his  father  that  he  could  not  understand 
my  French,  and  that  I  must  speak  a  dialect 
which  was  only  used  in  a  certain  locality,  and 
not  universally  recognized.  Shortly  after,  Mr. 
Johns  met  me  at  Oxford,  and  wanted  me  to 
accompany  him  to  the  professor's  house,  to 
whom  he  complained  that  his  son's  education 
was  quite  unsatisfactory  in  regard  to  his  ac- 
quirements in  foreign  languages.  The  pro- 
fessor, who  knew  me,  replied,  that  although  his 
boy  had  but  little  knowledge,  yet  he  was  per- 
fectly confident  that  I  had  none  at  all.  I  met 
Mr.  Johns  after  this  interview,  and  acknowl- 
edged that  my  pretense  was  to  avoid  arrest  and 
a  fine  for  peddling  without  a  license,  which  was 
a  requirement  in  the  state  of  Indiana. 

The  first  goods  which  we  found  profitable 

36 


in  our  business  throughout  the  country,  were 
made  of  German  silver,  manufactured  by  Hall 
and  Elton.  I  sold  them  on  credit,  and  war- 
ranted that  they  would  retain  their  bright 
color.  Before  long,  however,  they  tarnished 
and  looked  like  copper,  and  if  left  in  any  acid, 
were  nearly  ruined. 

When  I  called  upon  my  customers  after  six 
months  or  a  year  to  collect  the  money  due  me, 
they  showed  me  the  goods,  and  although  greatly 
disappointed  that  they  had  turned  out  so  un- 
satisfactorily, yet,  having  sold  them  in  good 
faith,  believing  them  to  be  excellent  metal  as 
represented,  I  left  it  with  my  patrons  to  decide 
the  value,  and  pay  me  whatever  they  considered 
a  fair  price.  This  course  had  the  effect  of  in- 
creasing their  confidence  in  my  honesty,  which 
I  never  abused. 

While  peddling,  I  bought  a  horse,  seventeen 
hands  high,  and  quite  as  beautiful  as  he  was 
high.  On  my  first  attempt  to  hitch  him  to  my 
wagon,  I  discovered  that  he  was  determined 
not  to  work.  I  tried  every  means  to  induce 
him  to  do  so,  but  without  success.  He  would 
throw  himself  upon  the  ground  and  refuse  to 
rise.  I  was  advised  to  put  live  coals  under 
him,  and  was  told  that,  under  the  influence 
of  this  stimulant,  he  would  not  only  get  up, 

37 


but  give  up,  and  thereafter  realize  that  I  was 
his  master  and  that  he  must  obey  me.  I  tried 
it  and  the  plan  worked  to  perfection.  After 
driving  him  for  a  while,  I  found  that  the  ani- 
mal was  so  short-winded,  that  when  pressed 
beyond  a  walk,  he  would  puff  and  blow  like  a 
blacksmith's  bellows.  I  was  therefore  tender 
with  him,  and  the  only  time  I  drove  him  faster 
than  a  walk,  was  upon  entering  a  town. 

One  day  I  came  to  Monroe,  Ohio,  where 
Mack  Bros,  were  keeping  a  store.  As  I  pulled 
up  at  the  door  of  their  establishment,  an  old 
jockey,  who  with  his  eyes  shut  knew  more  about 
a  horse  than  I  did,  or  ever  expect  to,  pretended 
that  he  had  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  my  steed, 
and  invited  me  to  go  with  him  to  his  farm  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  town,  doubtless  with  the  in- 
tention of  taking  advantage  of  me.  He  began 
by  proposing  that  he  would  trade  horses.  I 
asked  him  if  he  would  warrant  his  mare  sound, 
for  I  had  noticed  that  she  was  blind  in  one  eye. 
He  guaranteed  her  as  sound  as  a  dollar,  upon 
which  I  warranted  my  horse  to  be  as  sound  as 
his  mare.  In  trying  to  prevent  me  from  dis- 
covering the  blemish  in  his  animal  he  kept  aloof 
from  my  horse.  We  finally  traded  upon  such 
terms  that  he  gave  me  about  $50  to  boot;  not 
a  bad  bargain  for  me,  for  I  had  purchased  my 

38 


horse  at  auction  for  less  than  the  man  paid  me 
as  the  difference  in  value.  We  changed  har- 
nesses and  I  obtained  a  much  better  animal  in 
spite  of  the  loss  of  her  one  eye,  which  only  af- 
fected her  appearance,  than  the  one  I  sold, 
which  was  wind-broken  and  of  very  little  ac- 
count outside  of  his  huge  size  and  generally 
fine  appearance. 

The  jockey  was  caught  in  his  own  trap,  and 
never  drove  the  horse  to  town  or  spoke  of  me. 
He  finally  traded  him  to  a  wagon  manufacturer, 
from  Dayton,  Ohio,  who  was  taking  some  of 
his  vehicles  to  market.  He  traded  for  one  con- 
veyance and  about  $50  in  cash. 

In  the  year  1842,  while  I  was  driving  in  my 
wagon  in  the  neighborhood  of  Newton,  Ohio, 
a  Mr.  Williams  met  me  and  asked  to  be  taken 
in.  An  immense  freshet  had  recently  swept 
everything  before  it,  and  in  trying  to  cross  the 
Little  Miami  at  an  old  and  heretofore  perfectly 
safe  ford,  my  horses  unexpectedly  lost  their 
footing,  and  swam  quite  a  long  distance;  the 
wagon  upset  and  the  goods  were  soaked  with 
water.  I  at  once  put  them  in  good  shape  and 
sold  them  to  the  best  advantage  I  could.  Mr. 
Williams  returned  to  the  city  for  the  purpose 
of  going  to  the  temple  to  give  thanks  for  his 
deliverance,  as  is  the  custom  with  orthodox 

39 


Jews  when  their  lives  have  been  spared  from 
a  threatening  catastrophe. 

About  this  time  I  called  upon  a  man  in  that 
region  to  collect  a  debt,  long  since  due  me,  of 
$100.  He  paid  me  the  money  but,  as  he  did  so, 
seemed  deeply  affected  and  shed  tears.  I  asked 
him  why  he  cried,  and  he  replied  that  he  had 
promised  to  send  money  for  his  parents,  then  in 
New  York,  to  come  on  and  live  with  him.  Al- 
though my  means  were  limited,  and  the  amount 
due  me  was  of  considerable  value,  yet  I  re- 
turned it,  and  told  him  to  use  it  for  that  pur- 
pose, and  pay  me  when  he  could  conveniently. 
He  was  not  able  for  a  long  time  to  do  so,  yet 
finally  he  returned  both  principal  and  interest, 
and  it  always  gave  me  much  pleasure  and  grati- 
fication to  see  him  with  his  parents,  brothers 
and  sisters,  and  to  know  that  I  had  been  instru- 
mental in  giving  him  such  pleasure.  They  all 
felt  deeply  grateful  throughout  their  lives  for 
the  kindness  I  had  extended  to  them. 

In  the  year  1843  I  stayed  one  night  with  a 
Mr.  Montgomery,  and  went  in  company  with 
Miss  Montgomery  and  her  uncle,  to  an  apple 
cutting,  at  the  house  of  her  sister,  Mrs.  Port. 
I  took  some  other  young  lady  home,  not  intend- 
ing any  incivility.  Miss  Montgomery's  uncle 
took  it  for  granted  that  I  would  be  her  escort 

40 


back.  Miss  Montgomery,  thus  left  without 
any  one,  was  escorted  home  by  her  nephew, 
who  supplied  the  vacancy,  and  she  bitterly  com- 
plained to  her  father  of  my  rude,  ungentle- 
manly  treatment.  In  the  morning,  on  going 
after  my  team,  Mr.  Montgomery  in  a  rage  at 
the  indignity  I  had  shown  his  daughter,  ran 
after  me  with  a  hay  fork.  I  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  making  him  understand  the  mistake, 
and  that  no  disrespect  was  intended — finally, 
after  much  explanation  and  apology,  his  anger 
was  appeased  and  I  was  allowed  to  depart  in 
peace. 

The  next  time  I  visited  the  place,  I  stayed 
with  one  of  his  neighbors,  Mr.  Dodd.  After 
supper,  I  went  out  sleighing  with  his  daughter, 
Mary.  The  sleigh  upset,  and  the  poor  girl  re- 
turned home  minus  some  of  her  teeth.  The 
next  day,  I  found  that  my  horse  that  I  had  been 
out  with  the  night  before  had  been  so  severely 
kicked  by  his  companion  in  the  stall,  that  I  was 
obliged  to  shoot  him,  there  being  no  hope  of 
his  recovery.  I  next  took  Mary  to  a  masonic 
celebration  at  Cornersville,  Indiana.  A  Mr, 
Magnus  kept  a  hotel  there,  and  he  had  made 
a  contract  to  furnish  a  first  class  dinner  to  all 
who  attended.  His  wife,  an  excellent  milliner, 
had  no  idea  how  to  feed  such  an  immense  army 

41 


of  hungry  people.  Wishing  to  treat  them  to 
some  delicacy,  she  baked  a  kind  of  fritter, 
called  Schneeballen  in  German.  The  more  you 
ate  of  this  food  the  more  you  required;  your 
appetite  was  rather  improved  than  diminished, 
and  many  left  at  once  for  neighboring  places 
to  appease  their  hunger,  in  quite  an  indignant 
state  of  mind.  Dinner  had  been  ordered  for 
one  thousand  guests,  and  there  were  over  five 
times  that  number  waiting  to  be  fed,  and  not 
half  enough  bread  to  supply  their  needs.  All 
were  annoyed,  and  Mr.  Magnus  was  ignomini- 
ously  expelled  from  the  Lodge.  The  officers 
were  more  to  blame  than  he,  however,  for  if 
they  had  calculated  correctly  there  would  have 
been  no  such  disappointment.  We  then  en- 
gaged to  go  together  to  the  annual  masonic 
dinner  at  Eaton,  Ohio,  feeling  assured  that  the 
lesson  of  the  preceding  year  would  be  a  salu- 
tary one  to  the  brothers,  and  we  might  reason- 
ably expect  a  fine  entertainment.  This  one 
proved  a  grand  success  and  I  enjoyed  the  festiv- 
ities exceedingly. 

That  same  year  I  was  returning  to  Cincin- 
nati, from  a  trip  to  Logan  County,  Ohio,  and 
I  passed  through  West  Liberty  and  sold  some 
goods  to  one  of  the  merchants.  I  carried  quite 
a  large  sum  with  me  in  two  wallets.    By  some 

42 


unaccountable  carelessness,  I  left  one  of  those 
wallets  on  the  counter.  The  merchant  found 
it,  and  sent  a  young  man  after  me  to  return 
my  missing  property.  He  mounted  the  first 
horse  he  could  find  and  started  in  pursuit.  I 
heard  him  following,  and  naturally  supposed, 
as  it  was  dark,  that  he  had  evil  designs;  so  I 
drove  faster  and  faster,  fearing  robbery,  until 
I  reached  an  inn,  where  I  halted.  Here  he 
overtook  me,  explained  his  object,  and  restored 
the  wallet,  but  refused  all  reward  which  I 
would  willingly  have  given  him,  as  I  felt  ex- 
tremely thankful  to  him. 

About  this  time,  I  employed  a  man  to  travel 
through  the  country  and  sell  clocks  for  me  on 
twelve  months'  credit.  I  had  bought,  as  I  sup- 
posed, excellent  time-pieces,  so  I  guaranteed 
them  for  a  year.  But  when  the  time  expired, 
and  collections  were  due,  many  complained  and 
refused  to  pay,  because  the  goods  were  not  as 
represented.  I  had  become  quite  a  successful 
tinkerer  by  this  time,  so  I  fixed  up  a  number 
of  them  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  owners. 
Some  of  the  notes  I  had  received,  however, 
were  hard  to  collect.  Stopping  one  night  with 
Mr.  John  Beard,  I  traded  $400  worth  of  these 
notes  for  120  acres  of  land  near  West  Mans- 
field, Logan  County,  Ohio.    At  the  same  time 

43 


Mr.  Beard  offered  me  more  valuable  land  for 
additional  notes,  which  proposition  I  declined, 
fearing  to  invest  too  much  capital  in  property. 
Becoming  a  landowner,  I  went  to  see  my  newly 
acquired  estate.  I  learned  that  Henry  Clay 
was  the  proprietor  of  the  adjoining  tract,  of 
640  acres,  which  was  offered  for  sale  at  $1.25 
per  acre. 

On  my  way  home,  I  rented  a  store  for  a 
few  days  at  Belfontaine,  selling  goods  at  pri- 
vate sale  in  the  daytime,  and  in  the  evening 
at  auction.  The  business  was  not  very  re- 
munerative, so  I  packed  up  and  went  to  Ur- 
bana,  Ohio,  where  I  made  quite  a  stir  in  the 
auctioneering  line  at  night.  I  sold  so  much 
cheaper  for  cash  than  the  old  merchants  did, 
who  gave  credit  for  twelve  months,  that  they 
attacked  me  in  the  public  press  in  a  merciless 
manner.  Weaver  &  Bros.,  an  established  mer- 
cantile house,  denounced  me  in  the  papers  as 
a  swindler  and  a  thieving  Jew.  I  hardly  un- 
derstood the  nature  of  this  most  serious  accu- 
sation, but  a  gentleman  of  wealth  and  high 
social  position,  benevolently  came  to  me  and 
brought  with  him  a  German  to  act  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  interpreter.  When  the  situation  was 
duly  explained  to  me,  I  was  asked  what  action 
I  intended  to  take  to  defend  myself  against 

44 


those  unwarrantable  aspersions,  so  detri- 
mental to  my  business  interests,  and  derogatory 
to  my  character.  Finding  me  helpless  to  cope 
unaided  with  so  grave  a  charge,  this  kind- 
hearted  philanthropist,  Dr.  Musgrove,  who 
was  either  an  Irishman  by  birth  or  born  of 
Irish  parents,  offered  to  publish  a  reply  for 
me  free  of  charge,  if  I  would  bind  myself  to 
the  following  line  of  conduct  as  the  only  true 
and  honorable  course  for  me  to  pursue.  I  ac- 
cordingly agreed  to  sell  all  my  goods  at  a 
reasonable  and  fixed  price.  I  was  also  to  be 
truthful,  obliging  and  strictly  honest  in  all  my 
dealings — thus,  I  would,  he  assured  me,  attain 
success  in  business  and  silence  my  enemies, 
while  he  would  immediately  champion  my 
cause,  which  he  did  most  thoroughly.  My 
gratitude  toward  this  noble  benefactor, 
prompted  me  to  follow  throughout  all  my  fu- 
ture career  his  wise  and  excellent  advice.  It 
established  firmly  within  my  soul  the  principles 
of  probity  and  justice,  which  I  have  endeav- 
ored to  make  the  basis  of  my  character.  I 
speak  with  all  due  consideration  when  stating 
that  I  have  never  taken  any  unfair  advantage 
of  any  person.  I  had  been  taught  uprightness 
at  home,  but  Dr.  Musgrove  added  the  clinching 
nail  to  early  influences  and  instructions,  and  I 

45 


have  ever  honored  and  revered  his  memory. 

I  ran  short  of  goods  while  in  Urbana  and 
employed  a  wagoner  to  go  to  Cincinnati  and 
bring  me  a  load  of  merchandise  from  there. 
I  promised  to  be  there  in  time  to  load  the  mer- 
chandise and  to  give  him  an  extra  price,  pro- 
vided he  would  carry  no  other  goods  but  mine, 
which  I  just  then  wanted  particularly  for  an 
approaching  holiday,  and  so  could  not  afford 
to  take  any  chance  of  delay.  To  this  the  wag- 
oner agreed,  but  notwithstanding  this  agree- 
ment, he  made  a  secret  arrangement  with  my 
business  rival,  Weaver  &  Bros.,  who  had  at- 
tacked me  in  the  press,  that  he  would  bring 
them  part  of  a  load.  A  day  or  so  before  I 
expected  to  start,  Mr.  Weaver,  who  knew  my 
arrangements,  left  at  midnight  for  Cincinnati. 
The  hostler  at  the  stable  learned  what  was 
going  on,  and  instantly  came  to  my  room,  with 
information  that  Mr.  Weaver  had  departed. 
He  had  heard  some  conversation  which  be- 
trayed all  the  details  of  the  scheme  planned  to 
circumvent  me.  Mr.  Weaver,  although  a  rich 
man,  never  failed  to  do  a  mean  or  dishonest 
act  to  obtain  a  business  advantage,  far  pre- 
ferring it  to  a  straightforward  action.  Nev- 
ertheless, he  finally  learned  to  leave  me  alone, 
for  I  succeeded  perfectly  in  defeating  his  plans. 

46 


In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  write  this  page,  I 
was  on  my  way  to  Cincinnati,  taking  another 
route,  although  the  regular  and  best  one  was 
through  Dayton.  Reaching  Cincinnati  about 
sundown,  I  found  the  wagon  had  arrived,  and 
made  the  teamster  stop  at  the  Brighton  House, 
an  entirely  out  of  the  way  place.  I  sent  my 
goods  there  with  a  drayman,  and  started  the 
wagon  back  with  its  consignment,  just  as  my 
opponent  put  in  his  appearance  to  purchase  his 
merchandise.  „  He  soon  learned  that  I  had  been 
there,  and  that  the  wagon  on  which  he  had 
relied,  had  already  gone,  laden  with  my  stock. 
He  was  bitterly  disappointed  when  he  discov- 
ered that  I  had  outwitted  him,  in  spite  of  his 
vigilance  and  midnight  start.  I  received  my 
goods  some  days  before  his  appeared,  and  was 
thus  enabled  to  supply  a  pressing  want  of  some 
specialties.    This  gained  me  much  popularity. 

I  would  have  selected  Urbana  for  my  perma- 
nent home,  had  it  not  been  for  the  prospect  of 
entering  into  partnership  with  my  brother  and 
the  two  Stadlers  in  Cincinnati.  One  of  the 
Stadlers  did  establish  himself  at  Urbana  after 
I  left,  and  did  very  well,  being  greatly  assisted 
by  my  friend,  the  doctor,  who  later  on,  when 
I  was  keeping  store  in  the  city,  called  upon 
me  in  company  with  his  admirable  wife.    I  was 

47 


delighted  to  show  them  some  attention,  and  to 
express  my  sincere  thanks  for  his  kind  cham- 
pionship. It  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  learn 
that  his  sons  have  inherited  the  estimable 
qualities  of  their  parents,  and  stand,  both  in 
character  and  wealth,  in  positions  worthy  of 
their  honorable  descent. 

While  in  Urbana,  I  had  had  a  young  man 
arrested  for  stealing.  After  he  had  secured 
his  release  by  giving  bonds  for  his  appearance, 
by  the  advice  of  his  attorney  (whose  reputation 
was  not  blameless),  he  claimed  that  my  action 
had  been  purely  malicious,  originating  in  spite. 
My  good  friend,  the  doctor,  again  came  to  my 
relief.  When  the  time  for  the  trial  approached, 
I  was  living  in  Cincinnati.  A  trial  therefore 
would  have  meant  much  loss  of  time  and  money. 
I  wrote  to  the  doctor,  requesting  him  to  see 
the  State  Attorney  and  induce  him  to  have  the 
case  dropped.  John  Corwin,  a  nephew  of 
Thomas  Corwin,  one-time  Governor  of  Ohio, 
was  then  state  attorney  and  obliged  me  to  ap- 
pear. When  the  young  man  found  I  was  on 
hand,  he  thought  it  advisable  to  absent  himself, 
so  he  forfeited  his  bail.  This  event  closed  my 
Urbana  experiences — a  place  which  will  always 
be  dear  to  me,  and  where  I  left  many  good 
friends. 

48 


My  brother  Carl's  bent  was  not  for  business. 
He  gave  up  peddling  in  1843  and  entered  into 
the  butcher  business  with  the  Mr.  Mack  who 
had  accompanied  us  from  Xew  York.  His  ef- 
fort in  this  line  was  not  very  promising,  as  meat 
at  that  time  was  about  given  away.  I  remem- 
ber buying  a  steer  for  Sio.  My  brother  paid 
the  money  back  to  me,  but  begged  me  not  to  ex- 
periment in  this  way  again,  as  all  that  animals 
would  bring  on  the  slaughter  market  was  the 
price  of  the  hide  and  tallow.  I  was  much 
amused  at  an  experience  of  brother  Carl.  He 
had  made  some  arrangement  together  with 
others  of  his  trade,  to  supply  a  lazy  fellow  with 
meat  gratuitously  ;  each  was  to  take  his  turn 
in  regular  succession.  When  it  was  brother's 
time  to  furnish  the  required  amount  to  this 
unprofitable  customer,  he  happened  to  be  unusu- 
ally low  in  his  stock,  and  unable  to  meet  the 
requirements :  so  he  went  to  one  of  his  neigh- 
bors, a  Air.  Bresford,  with  a  view  of  exchang- 
ing turns  as  a  temporary  accommodation.  Mr. 
Bresford  readily  agreed  to  the  proposition,  but 
instead  of  donating  the  usual  allowance,  he 
gave  the  great  indolent,  overgrown  fellow  a 
quarter  of  beef,  weighing  from  150  to  200 
pounds,  simply  because  he  wanted  to  see  him 
for  once  in  his  life  make  an  effort  in  the  way 

49 


of  work.  There  was  no  alternative  but  to 
take  the  whole  or  go  home  without  any.  It 
seemed  a  severe  struggle  for  this  lazy  man, 
to  decide  whether  he  would  shoulder  the 
load  or  not.  At  last  the  desire  to  possess  the 
meat  gained  mastery  over  his  sluggishness, 
and  with  the  utmost  awkwardness,  he  lifted 
up  his  burden,  to  the  infinite  amusement  of  the 
assembled  butchers,  and  tugged  it  off.  It  was 
a  rare  joke  to  compel  this  sluggard  to  work  in 
order  that  he  might  have  the  privilege  of  eat- 
ing. 

I  wish  to  show  by  this  recital  how  cheap 
everything  was.  Meat  sold  at  wholesale  from 
one  to  three  cents  per  pound.  Two  dozen  eggs 
for  five  cents.  Butter  five  to  ten  cents  per 
pound.  Corn  ten  to  twelve  and  one-half  cents 
per  bushel.  Wheat  fifty  cents  per  bushel  and 
whiskey  twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  gallon — 
and  nearly  everything  equally  low. 

Brother  Carl  remained  but  a  short  time  in 
the  butcher  business;  then  he  returned  to  the 
dry  goods  trade,  where  everything  looked  en- 
couraging. Notwithstanding  his  deficiency  in 
those  qualifications  which  render  a  man  suc- 
cessful in  business  operations,  his  high  repu- 
tation for  strict  honesty,  and  his  frugal  man- 
ner of  living,  were  stepping-stones  to  pros- 

50 


perity.  All  who  met  him,  even  casually,  ac- 
knowledged his  superior  rectitude,  and  among 
his  near  friends  and  relatives,  he  was  regarded 
as  a  most  worthy  and  admirable  example. 

In  the  autumn  of  1843,  a  partnership  of  four 
was  established,  composed  of  Carl  Stix,  Mar- 
tin Stadler,  Louis  Stix  and  Max  Stadler,  and 
our  united  capital  was  about  $3,000.  We 
rented  a  store  on  5th  Street.  My  brother 
Carl  and  the  elder  Stadler  were  in  charge  of 
the  place — Max  and  I  kept  on  peddling. 
Though  Max  Stadler  had  been  the  hardest 
worker,  yet  his  interest  did  not  exceed  that  of 
the  other  partners ;  our  joint  capital  being  about 
an  equal  investment.  We  lived  in  a  frugal 
manner  expending  but  little.  Still  we  gained 
but  slowly  financially,  but  we  felt  assured  of 
ultimate  success. 

I  still  recall  how  two  young  ladies,  the  Misses 
Stewart,  living  at  Madisonville,  Ohio,  who  had 
returned  home  from  a  visit  to  the  city,  found 
it  very  difficult  to  find  goods  to  suit  their  culti- 
vated taste,  for  they  were  indeed  connoisseurs 
of  choice  materials.  I  was  fortunate  enough 
to  secure  their  patronage,  ascribing  my  success 
in  pleasing  them  to  my  good  looks  and  ami- 
ability, which  possibly  outweighed  all  differ- 
ences.   This  may  be  either  a  joke,  or  a  pleasing 

51 


delusion  of  my  imagination,  which  I  sometimes 
enjoy.  However,  they  spent  their  money,  of 
which  they  had  plenty,  and  selected  from  my 
stock,  apparently  quite  satisfied. 

Brother  Carl  died  while  I  was  in  partnership 
with  the  two  Stadlers.  Brother  Henry  and 
I  feared  that  the  increase  in  our  expenses  would 
not  justify  me  in  remaining  in  business  in  Cin- 
cinnati, as  we  did  not  expect  that  father  would 
be  able  to  earn  anything,  and  we  felt  it  to  be 
our  duty  to  see  that  the  four  children  should 
receive  an  English  education.  The  money 
brother  Carl  left  at  his  death  belonged  legally 
to  his  sisters  and  brothers,  but  the  ones  of  age 
did  not  demand  it,  and  those  not  yet  arrived  at 
maturity  did  not  desire  it.  I  therefore  in- 
vested the  amount,  about  $800,  in  a  house  on 
Canal  Street,  and  years  afterwards,  sold  it  for 
almost  the  same  price  that  it  cost.  Meanwhile 
the  house  paid  a  good  interest  on  the  sum  in- 
vested. Although  this  property  belonged  to 
our  dear  parents,  father  never  collected  the 
rents.  I  gave  him  credit  on  our  books  for  the 
amount,  and  he  deposited  his  surplus,  until 
later  on,  when  he  had  accumulated  enough  to 
purchase  his  own  house,  which  he  afterwards 
sold.  Had  he  held  on  and  not  disposed  of  it, 
it  would  have  been  worth  four  times  the  price 

52 


received  for  it — notwithstanding  that  most  real 
estate  in  Cincinnati  never  reached  the  same 
value  it  held  before  the  war. 

In  1844,  Stix  and  Stadler  Bros,  agreed  to 
dissolve  partnership  on  the  most  friendly  terms. 
I  asked  Martin  what  would  become  of  our  store. 
He  replied  "My  brother  and  I  will  take  it."  I 
considered  that  the  good  will  of  the  business 
was  worth  some  pecuniary  consideration,  but 
he  did  not  agree  with  me.  He  accordingly 
sent  for  Mr.  Aub  and  Mr.  Marcus  Fechheimer 
to  adjust  this  difference.  Had  I  selected  the 
gentlemen,  I  should  have  chosen  the  very  same, 
as  my  confidence  in  their  excellent  judgment 
was  unlimited.  To  render  the  task  of  arbitra- 
tion an  easy  one,  I  proposed  a  certain  amount 
which  I  was  willing  to  either  give  or  take.  Our 
mutual  friends  then  said  there  was  nothing  for 
them  to  do.  Stadler  Bros,  had  their  choice  and 
they  decided  to  keep  the  store  from  which  I 
retired.  Our  clothes  which  we  shared  equally, 
were  adjusted  fairly.  I  gave  one  blue  sock  to 
the  Stadlers  and  the  mate  of  it  to  myself,  so  we 
halved  the  entire  stock  satisfactorily.  Mother 
and  Mrs.  Stadler  afterwards  arranged  all 
other  details  on  a  just  basis.  We  parted  ex- 
cellent friends,  and  have  ever  continued  to  re- 
gard each  other  as  such. 

53 


Unfortunately  we  decided  to  move  into  the 
country,  and  started  a  general  store  at  Mason, 
Warren  County,  Ohio.  We  were  acquainted 
with  this  place,  and  had  many  friends  residing 
there.  Here  we  did  quite  a  lively  business, 
building  up  a  good  trade  and  establishing  an 
excellent  reputation.  Still  we  barely  held  our 
own  at  first,  for  there  were  two  other  stores, 
that  previous  to  our  coming,  had  never  sold 
any  goods,  except  at  large  profits.  One  of 
these  immediately  began  selling  at  such  reduced 
rates,  that  its  proprietor  declared  it  would  only 
be  a  short  time  before  we  would  be  obliged  to 
close  up  and  move  away.  In  this,  however,  he 
was  mistaken.  I  had  inherited  some  of  my 
father's  obstinacy,  and  instead  of  failure,  our 
sales  increased  at  lower  prices.  The  farmers 
in  the  surrounding  country  bought  their  goods 
of  us.  We  had  but  limited  room,  and  insuffi- 
cient help,  for  our  business,  and  our  customers 
bought  only  leading  and  bulky  articles.  We 
had  all  we  could  do  to  keep  the  goods  which  the 
farmers  insisted  on  taking  with  them.  We  had 
no  time,  nor  had  we  the  room,  to  show  fancy 
goods  and  therefore  did  not  handle  them.  We 
sold  28  pounds  of  sugar  for  $1.00,  salt  at  90 
cents  per  barrel,  saleratus  at  5  cents  per  pound 
and  molasses  for  18^4  cents  per  gallon.  Indian 

54 


head  sheeting  we  sold  at  $1.00  for  I2j4  yards, 
and  charged  a  similar  price  for  the  best  prints, 
with  a  spool  of  cotton  and  a  card  of  hooks  and 
eyes  thrown  in.  We  offered  a  free  convey- 
ance to  our  customers  to  take  them  home.  In 
this  connection  I  remember,  and  will  narrate, 
the  following  incident.  A  gentleman  was  sit- 
ting in  one  of  our  opponent's  stores.  He  took 
a  handkerchief  from  his  pocket,  and  the  pro- 
prietor observing  it,  remarked:  "I  will  wager 
you  paid  much  more  in  the  Jew  store  than  I  ask, 
for  the  articles  you  bought  there."  Where- 
upon the  farmer  enumerated  what  he  had 
bought  and  inquired :  "What  would  you  charge 
me  for  the  same?"  The  store-keeper  men- 
tioned about  one-half  the  price  he  had  quoted  a 
few  days  before,  upon  which  came  the  ready 
response:  "I  will  take  them  all,  and  please 
charge  my  last  purchase  at  the  same  figure  now 
given,  as  you  will  find  you  charged  me  double 
the  price  when  I  bought  last  week  from  you." 

About  the  same  time,  a  Mr.  Holmes  came 
into  our  store  just  as  I  opened  it  one  morning. 
He  made  some  trifling  purchase  taking  care 
as  he  did  so,  to  exhibit  a  very  large  and  well 
filled  pocket-book.  He  had  gone  but  a  few 
moments,  when  he  returned,  stating  that  he 
had  lost  his  wallet  and  asked  if  I  had  found  it. 

55 


As  the  wallet  was  not  there,  and  I  knew  that  no 
one  but  myself  had  entered  the  store  since  he 
left,  as  I  had  been  engaged  in  sweeping  the 
sidewalk,  I  followed  him  to  his  hotel,  and  in- 
duced some  of  my  friends  to  interest  themselves 
in  my  behalf.  We  obliged  him  to  undress, 
and,  when  stripped,  the  missing  money  was 
found  in  his  boots,  whereupon  I  seized  a  chair 
and  broke  it  over  his  head.  He  had  me  ar- 
rested. Squire  Dodd  fined  me  a  mere  trifle. 
As  we  left  the  office,  I  struck  him  again.  I 
was  immediately  re-arrested,  and  brought  back 
to  the  justice,  who  bound  me  over  to  keep  the 
peace,  and  gave  me  a  lecture.  This  ended 
Mr.  Holmes'  conspiracy,  and  he  found  it  con- 
venient to  leave  the  place.  My  opponent,  Mr. 
Hogan,  did  not  resort  to  such  a  scheme  again. 
He  undoubtedly  hired  this  miscreant  to  injure 
my  reputation,  through  jealousy  of  my  great 
success  in  business.  He  believed  my  success 
was  due  to  the  large  profits  I  made,  but  that 
was  not  true,  as  I  discovered  when  I  closed  that 
business,  and  started  in  the  city. 

At  this  time  I  boarded  at  one  of  the  hotels, 
and  came  to  my  meals  so  irregularly,  and  ate 
so  little  when  I  did  come,  that  the  landlord, 
Mr.  Mahan,  told  me  I  would  do  him  a  favor 
if  I  transferred  my  patronage  to  someone  else. 

56 


I  applied  to  a  Mrs.  Cunningham,  and,  upon 
explaining  the  reason  that  I  was  no  longer  con- 
sidered a  desirable  boarder  at  my  former  board- 
ing place,  she  assured  me  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  about  my  eating  at  her  establishment 
as  long  as  I  paid  my  bills. 

When  living  at  Mason,  I  became  quite 
friendly  with  a  lady,  Miss  Martha  Sewart,  a 
highly  respected  and  intelligent  young  woman. 
My  father,  fearing  that  our  growing  intimacy 
might  lead  to  an  engagement  ultimately,  as  he 
beheld  me  constantly  in  her  company,  for  we 
were  neighbors,  desired  some  German  gentle- 
man, who  could  speak  both  languages,  to  in- 
terview her.  She  assured  him  that  if  she  were 
ever  so  much  inclined  to  become  my  wife,  she 
would  never  do  so  without  the  consent  of  my 
parents.  We,  nevertheless,  remained  good 
friends,  and  in  after  days,  I  visited  her  with 
my  wife  when  she  too  was  happily  married, 
and  we  were  received  at  her  home  with  the 
lady-like  courtesy  for  which  she  was  always 
distinguished. 

A  most  amusing  incident  of  this  time  here 
occurs  to  me.  Martin  Mack,  a  brother-in-law 
of  Henry  Mack,  left  his  horse  with  me,  and  an 
order  to  hand  the  proceeds  from  its  sale  over  to 
Stadler  Bros.    Then  he  countermanded  this 

57 


order,  and  gave  me  written  instructions  to  pay 
the  money  to  some  one  else.  Stadler,  who 
owed  me  some  money,  said  he  would  not  pay, 
until  I  handed  over  the  amount  for  which  the 
horse  in  question  had  been  sold.  I  was  stop- 
ping at  Martin  Stadler's  house  at  the  time.  I 
sued  him  before  Squire  Snelbaker,  and  he  re- 
ceived the  summons,  while  I  was  eating  dinner. 
He  employed  an  excellent  lawyer,  while  I 
pleaded  my  own  case  and  came  out  victorious. 
The  squire  cautioned  us  to  be  careful,  as 
friends  sometimes  fall  out.  He  wanted  the 
case  dropped,  or  in  some  way  compromised,  as 
the  squire  was  a  particular  friend  to  us  both. 

I  recall  too,  as  is  usually  the  case,  that  my 
first  proficiency  in  the  acquisition  of  English, 
was  in  the  way  of  profane  utterances,  a  fact 
which  called  forth  the  following  rebuke. 

There  was  a  certain  Miss  Polly  Thompson,  a 
well  regarded  maiden  lady,  who  invited  me  one 
day  into  her  parlor  and,  in  a  very  kind  and  con- 
siderate manner  addressed  me  in  a  womanly 
fashion,  as  follows:  "Mr.  Stix,  we  all  respect 
and  like  you.  Are  you  aware  that  you  wound 
our  feelings  by  the  frequent  use  of  profane  lan- 
guage ?"  While  I  was  hardly  conscious  of  hav- 
ing done  so,  I  immediately  promised  her  that 
from  that  moment  I  would  refrain  from  all 

58 


rude  or  inconsiderate  remarks,  and  assured  her 
that  hereafter,  if  she  ever  caught  me  using  any 
objectionable  word,  I  would  agree  to  forfeit 
a  silk  dress,  as  the  penalty,  on  each  occasion. 
Although  she  was  never  entitled  to  claim  my 
self-imposed  penalty,  at  least  so  far  as  oaths 
uttered  in  her  presence  were  concerned,  I 
showed  my  respect  for  her  admonition,  and  my 
regard  for  the  sterling  worth  of  her  character, 
by  giving  her  carte-blanche  to  get  anything  she 
wanted  at  any  time  in  the  stores  of  the  town 
where  I  used  to  live,  and  have  it  charged  to 
my  account.  My  brother  Henry  insisted  upon 
sharing  with  me  in  this  pleasurable  act  of 
benevolence.  We  were  honored  by  being  per- 
mitted to  defray  her  funeral  expenses,  for  she 
became  quite  impoverished  in  her  old  age.  Few 
better  women  have  lived  than  Miss  Polly 
Thompson.  She  reached  the  ripe  age  of 
ninety,  and  departed,  beloved  and  respected  by 
all  who  knew  her.  While  I  have  ever  been 
thankful  to  "Aunt  Polly"  for  her  merited  re- 
buke, it  was  not  always  easy  to  remember  my 
promise.  I  recollect  how,  on  one  occasion  in 
particular,  my  wagon  was  stalled  in  the  mire. 
Although  the  load  was  not  heavy  for  the  strong 
seventeen-hand  horse  I  was  driving,  yet,  do 
what  I  might,  I  found  it  impossible  to  induce 

59 


the  animal  to  pull.  Nothing  I  could  think  of 
would  make  the  horse  draw.  As  a  last  re- 
source I  said  despairingly,  that,  "if  it  were  not 
for  Aunt  Polly,  I  would  swear,  for  this  is  too 
much  for  flesh  and  blood  to  bear."  I  gave  way 
at  last  and  made  good  use  of  my  whip,  aiding 
its  application  with  a  due  mixture  of  the  words 
I  vowed  never  again  to  use.  It  worked  like  a 
charm,  and  often  afterwards,  when  business 
was  dull,  and  I  was  asked,  "how  goes  your 
trade  ?"  I  felt,  and  replied,  that,  "if  it  were  not 
for  my  promise  to  Aunt  Polly,  I  would  say  it 
was — " 

Driving  on  one  occasion,  with  my  sister  and 
Miss  Mack,  on  the  way  down  hill,  the  tongue 
attached  to  the  wagon's  axle-tree  came  loose, 
and  dropped  on  the  ground.  Consequently 
the  vehicle  ran  against  my  horses'  legs.  The 
ladies  screamed,  and  for  a  minute  I  forgot  my 
promise  to  Aunt  Polly  about  forcible  lan- 
guage; but  the  use  of  it  stopped  the  scream- 
ing, and  I  gathered  my  wits  sufficiently  to  run 
my  team  against  a  fence.  In  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  write  a  description  of  the  scene,  I  was 
master  of  the  situation,  and  my  fair  companions 
gave  me  unlimited  credit  for  wonderful  pres- 
ence of  mind  in  time  of  danger. 

During  my  residence  at  Mason,  I  assisted  a 
60 


nephew  of  Aunt  Polly  with  a  small  amount  of 
money,  to  enable  him  to  move  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he,  ere  long,  became  one  of  the  leading 
attorneys  in  that  prosperous  city.  He  repaid 
my  loan  with  thanks,  and  was,  moreover,  in- 
strumental in  saving  for  me,  what  I  regarded 
as  a  bad  debt.  The  party  who  owed  me,  was 
protected  by  state  law;  he  having  ceased  to 
reside  in  Cincinnati,  where  the  obligation  had 
been  incurred.  An  attachment  was  neverthe- 
less obtained  upon  my  debtor's  goods,  while  in 
transit  from  Cincinnati  to  St.  Louis — thereby 
enabling  me  to  secure  the  money  I  had  supposed 
to  be  hopelessly  lost. 

In  1844,  during  the  campaign  preceding  the 
fall  election,  I  was  on  my  way  to  Liberty, 
Indiana,  on  the  day  of  the  great  Democratic 
mass  meeting.  I  had  my  horse  and  wagon 
decorated  with  Whig  colors,  for  I  was  a  great 
admirer  of  Henry  Clay.  In  trying  to  pass  a 
procession  of  wagons,  going  in  the  same  di- 
rection, many  drawn  by  eight  and  some  by 
sixteen  horses,  amid  the  cheers  of  an  immense 
throng,  wild  with  enthusiasm,  singing  national 
and  party  songs,  my  horse  took  fright  at  the 
noisy  merriment,  and  a  serious  runaway  would 
have  been  the  result,  if  some  of  the  crowd  had 
not  come  to  my  assistance.    I  was  so  positive 

61 


of  the  result  in  regard  to  my  favorite  candidate 
that  I  offered  to  sell  all  my  goods,  and  did 
dispose  of  a  considerable  share,  with  the  under- 
standing, that  they  should  be  paid  for  after 
election,  and  at  double  the  price,  if  Clay  was 
successful.  As  Henry  Clay  never  reached  the 
Presidential  chair,  I  was  thoroughly  dis- 
appointed, and  paid  well  for  my  political 
opinions. 

On  one  occasion,  when  Hon.  Thomas  Corwin 
was  passing  through  Mason,  on  his  way  to 
Cincinnati,  his  carriage  broke  down.  He 
asked  for  a  conveyance  which  would  take  him 
quickly  to  the  city  and  was  referred  to  me.  I 
considered  it  quite  a  compliment  to  do  him  a 
favor,  so  replied  that  I  was  pleased  to  have  the 
opportunity  to  take  him  myself.  On  our  way 
he  remarked :  "I  need  not  ask  your  politics,  for 
your  color  plainly  indicates  the  party  which 
you  favor."  He  was  personally  as  dark  as  a 
mulatto,  and  I  have  been  informed,  that  when 
first  entering  the  dining-room  as  a  senator,  the 
doorkeeper  showed  him  the  apartment  set  apart 
for  colored  people.  As  we  were  about  passing 
through  the  toll-gate,  he  asked  me  for  the  lines ; 
he  would  not  deprive  me  of  the  pleasure  of 
paying  toll.  He  was  indeed  Ohio's  favorite 
son.    The  Whig  party  in  his  own  state  and  in 

62 


many  others  was  enthusiastic  about  him.  and 
would  have  unanimously  nominated  him  for  the 
greatest  honor  in  their  power.  The  Demo- 
crats dreaded  his  influence,  and  that  of  Henry 
Clay,  more  than  any  opponents.  In  their 
qualifications  as  lawyers  they  had  few  peers, 
and  their  friends  and  admirers  regarded  them 
as  the  superiors  of  all  others.  The  Hon. 
Thomas  Corwin  was  also  a  high  mason,  and 
whenever  it  was  announced  that  he  would 
speak  at  a  masonic  celebration,  thousands  of 
people  flocked  to  hear  his  eloquent  and  humor- 
ous addresses.  He  was  as  clever  a  man  as  I 
have  ever  had  the  good  fortune  to  know.  His 
wife  was  also  a  very  agreeable  lady  and  a  good 
customer  of  mine.  They  always  paid  me  when 
they  had  money,  but  the  trouble  was,  they  were 
seldom  in  possession  of  any.  He  aspired  to 
the  Presidency  of  the  United  States,  but  ruined 
his  prospects,  by  making  a  speech,  in  which  he 
uttered  some  remarks  derogatory  to  our  army 
in  Mexico.  He  was  one  of  the  best  known  and 
greatest  Whig  politicians,  and  sometimes  was 
called  the  Canal  Boy. 

Henry  Clay  was  the  favorite  Whig 
candidate.  He  was  known  as  the  Wagon 
Boy. 

Corwin  was  reallv  never  nominated  for  the 

63 


Presidency,  although  an  extremely  popular 
man;  but  Henry  Clay  received  every  honor 
which  his  own  state  and  the  nation  could  give 
him,  excepting  success,  in  regard  to  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  United  States., 

About  the  year  1845,  a  number  of  young  men 
circulated  the  report  that  I  would  marry  Miss 
Eliza  Bake.  When  asked  if  this  was  really 
my  intention,  I  replied,  without  reserve,  that  I 
believed  her  mother,  Mrs.  Bake,  would  give 
almost  anything,  yes,  even  her  little  finger,  to 
have  me  do  so,  but  Eliza  would  riot  have  me 
under  any  consideration.  After  my  marriage 
Eliza  visited  us  in  the  city,  and  stayed  with  us 
some  time.  Her  parents  also  were  very  much 
at  home  in  our  house;  as  much  so  as  brother 
Henry  and  I  in  theirs,  when  under  their  roof, 
which  also  was  like  a  second  home  to  us.  Mrs. 
Bake  seemed  more  like  a  mother  than  a  friend ; 
and  Peter  Bake,  her  husband,  was  a  good  man, 
and  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  it  has 
ever  been  my  privilege  to  know.  Mrs.  Bake 
had  a  little  son  whom  they  named  Louis,  but 
his  brothers  and  sisters  insisted  upon  calling 
him  Henry.  When  he  was  old  enough  to  enter 
school,  the  teacher,  an  acquaintance  of  ours, 
gave  him  the  full  appellation  of  Henry  Louis 
Bake.    He  grew  up  and  became  a  merchant, 

64 


and  we  have  every  right  to  be  proud  of  our 
namesake.  He  has  been  for  the  last  quarter 
of  a  century  one  of  our  truest  and  most  stead- 
fast friends  and  customers. 

I  always  enjoyed  stopping  at  Dr.  Rowl's 
house,  as  both  host  and  hostess  were  charming 
people.  Mrs.  Rowl  was  a  lovely  lady,  and  the 
doctor's  rank  as  a  surgeon  of  high  attain- 
ments was  unquestionable.  On  one  occasion 
in  1845,  while  I  was  peddling  about  Indian 
Creek  in  the  neighborhood  of  Oxford,  Ohio,  I 
was  driving  after  dark  to  reach  the  Rowls, 
when  a  man  came  through  the  woods,  into  the 
middle  of  the  road,  and  asked  for  a  ride.  He 
was  about  to  stop  my  horses,  when  I  drew  my 
pistol,  ordered  him  out  of  my  way,  and  threat- 
ened to  make  short  work  of  him.  I  snapped 
my  whip  simultaneously  with  the  warning,  and 
though  my  pistol  was  not  even  loaded,  my  ac- 
tion threw  him  off  his  guard.  I  afterwards 
learned  that  a  young  man  of  very  suspicious 
character  lived  near  the  scene. 

Some  time  after,  on  my  way  from  Billings- 
ville  to  the  city,  while  driving  up  a  long  hill, 
some  one  approached  and  addressed  me  by  my 
name,  in  a  very  familiar  style,  asking  for  a 
ride.  As  I  had  considerable  money  about  me, 
I  did  not  stop.    My  interlocutor  then  gave  a 

65 


sudden  bound  and  sprang  toward  the  rear  of 
my  wagon.  Quick  as  a  wink,  I  gave  the  word 
to  my  horses,  applied  the  whip  to  start  them 
off,  and  soon  distanced  my  pursuer.  I  realized 
that  it  was  a  preconcerted  plan  to  rob  me; 
that  the  man  had  gone  on  in  advance  of  me, 
knowing  I  would  start  for  the  city,  and  had 
calculated  to  spring  into  the  wagon,  if  I  refused 
to  hold  up.  Although  I  traveled  back  and 
forth  on  the  same  road  many  times  afterward, 
I  never  again  was  accosted. 

It  was  my  custom  at  this  time,  too,  frequently 
to  visit  the  house  of  Elias  Kumler,  where  I  was 
always  received  as  a  friend.  His  boys  used  to 
hide  my  harness,  in  order  to  compel  me  to 
remain  over  night.  Their  home  life  was  a 
happy  one,  and  it  was  a  real  treat  to  accept 
their  urgent  invitations,  and  participate  in  the 
enjoyment  they  so  invariably  afforded  by  their 
genial,  amiable  and  affectionate  manners.  At 
this  time  I  was  possessed  of  an  iron  grey  horse, 
which,  when  T  gave  up  peddling,  I  sold  at  a 
lower  figure  than  I  had  been  offered,  to  a 
Frenchman,  who  lived  near  Oxford,  Ohio,  with 
the  understanding  that  when  he  wanted  to  part 
with  him,  I  would  have  the  first  privilege  of 
buying  him  back,  as  I  did  not  want  the  animal 

66 


which  had  served  me  so  well  and  faithfully, 
ever  to  be  subject  to  abuse. 

Brother  Henry  was  really  an  excellent  son, 
but  he  had  gained  the  name  of  being  mis- 
chievous, and  I  really  believe  he  never  lost  all 
his  relish  for  fun.  His  reputation  for  mis- 
chief was  thoroughly  established.  He  was 
usually  in  hot  water  by  reason  of  it.  How- 
ever, he  played  one — cold  water — prank. 
There  was  a  mill  in  our  native  place  with  the 
customary  dam  and  race.  The  gate  of  the  dam 
was  frequently  closed,  so  as  to  accumulate  suf- 
ficient water  to  run  the  mill.  One  day,  for 
want  of  something  better  to  do,  brother  Henry, 
when  the  race  was  well  filled,  raised  the  gate, 
and  gave  free  course  to  the  confined  water.  It 
played  havoc  with  the  mill  and  machinery. 
The  mill  wheel  was  shattered  into  fragments ; 
and  withal  it  was  a  most  expensive  experiment 
for  him,  and,  in  the  end,  the  miller  made  it  hot 
for  him,  for  this  sport  with  cold  water. 

Brother  Henry  was  universally  esteemed  by 
both  young  and  old.  His  disposition  was  so 
jovial  and  affable,  that  he  was  a  general 
favorite.  If  there  was  any  frolic  or  mischief 
on  hand,  he  was  often  the  originator,  and  al- 
ways a  participant. 

67 


One  season  about  the  first  of  the  year,  I  went 
to  Billingsville  to  collect  money,  as  was  the 
custom.  Farmers  who  enjoyed  good  credit, 
paid  every  twelve  months.  I  found  that  these 
farmers  were  holding  back  and  not  selling  their 
hogs,  and  often  after  they  had  sold  them,  they 
paid  other  debts  first  and  settled  their  store 
bills  by  giving  a  note  at  twelve  months.  We 
could  really  not  afford  to  wait  so  long  a  time. 
In  this  emergency,  I  proposed  to  my  dear 
brother  to  buy  the  hogs  in  the  neighborhood, 
particularly  from  those  who  owed  us  money. 
Nothing  suited  brother  Henry  so  well  as  this 
enterprise,  and  variety  gave  zest  to  our  under- 
taking. The  first  man  he  called  on,  was  Squire 
Frazy,  a  near  neighbor  and  special  friend,  who 
always  had  the  finest  hogs  in  the  county. 
When  he  was  made  acquainted  with  our  inten- 
tion, he  replied  with  great  promptness,  "Mr. 
Stix,  if  you  go  into  the  market  to  buy,  no  one 
shall  have  my  stock  but  yourself."  The  price 
was  agreed  upon :  so  much  a  hundred.  Mr. 
Frazy  asked  brother  Henry  if  he  preferred 
scale  weight,  or  if  he  would  guess  at  the  num- 
ber of  pounds.  Brother  Henry  prided  himself 
upon  being  an  expert,  and  considered  his  ability 
somewhat  under-rated;  so  he  replied,  that  it 

68 


was  useless  of  Mr.  Frazy  to  put  himself  to 
any  trouble ;  he  could  readily  determine.  Cor- 
diality and  confidence  were  thoroughly  estab- 
lished by  brother  Henry's  decision,  and  when, 
to  prove  his  skill  beyond  a  doubt  or  question, 
he  insisted  upon  having  the  hogs  weighed  and 
the  difference  was  less  than  a  pound  on  three 
hundred,  the  weight  of  each,  his  reputation  was 
unquestionably  settled. 

His  next  attempt  at  determining  weight  was 
not  so  fortunate.  Frazy' s  lot  had  been  about 
ten  heads,  but  McCoid's  stock  numbered  sev- 
enty-five. This  turned  out  to  be  a  poor  and 
unprofitable  business  speculation.  McCoid 
was  only  too  willing,  knowing  brother  Henry's 
successful  test,  to  leave  the  matter  of  weight 
for  Henry  to  decide,  which  proved  to  be  in  this 
instance  about,  one-tenth  less  than  the  weight 
named  by  Henry,  and  at  which  estimate  he  had 
closed  the  bargain.  We  lost  on  this  transac- 
tion, what  we  had  gained  on  the  former,  and 
came  very  near  not  getting  our  pay  at  all. 
The  house  to  which  we  had  sold  the  hogs  was 
on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy,  and  failed  only  a 
few  days  after  I  had  secured  the  sum  due  us, 
through  prompt  and  earnest  effort.  They 
owed  many  people  who  could  ill  afford  to  lose 

69 


their  money,  and  who  were  seriously  incon- 
venienced by  their  inability  to  meet  their  de- 
mands. 

Passing  through  Oxford,  Ohio,  in  1846, 
with  a  drove  of  hogs,  many  of  them  could,  and 
did,  succeed  in  outrunning  my  horse,  which  was 
by  no  means  a  slow  animal.  One  of  the  heavi- 
est gave  out  just  in  front  of  the  Mansion 
Hotel.  Squire  Satan,  lawyer  Smith,  the  con- 
stable, and  the  hotel  keeper  assisted  me  in  lift- 
ing the  hog  into  my  wagon.  The  mud  at  the 
time  was  some  inches  deep,  and  it  was  hard 
traveling.  At  the  last  stopping  place  before 
we  reached  the  city,  I  rode  ahead  to  make  ar- 
rangements for  myself,  my  men,  and  the  drove 
of  hogs,  to  stay  over  night.  Among  my  help 
were  some  colored  men.  As  we  entered  the 
dining-room  I  was  shown  a  separate  table, 
which  I  declined.  From  this  fact,  I  became 
known  as  an  abolitionist,  which  was  the  actual 
truth,  and  which  fact,  when  known,  caused  me 
the  loss  of  a  number  of  friends.  Next  day  I 
sold  the  drove,  and  made  considerable  money 
out  of  the  speculation,  which  I  kept,  in  order  to 
induce  my  dear  brother  to  make  collection,  to 
pay  for  his  hog  purchase.  My  success  in  this 
first  attempt  induced  me  to  try  a  second  time. 
By  averaging  both  lots  we  came  out  about  even. 

70 


One  time,  after  a  short  absence,  I  found  the 
hogs  had  entered  the  warehouse  of  our  Bil- 
lingsville  store,  and  selected  the  supposedly 
fresh  eggs,  butter  and  any  other  delicacy 
they  considered  a  suitable  relish.  I  scolded, 
and  my  good  brother  made  counter-charges, 
not  without  foundation.  These  eggs,  it  seems, 
brother  Henry  had  sold  to  a  manufacturer  of 
liniment,  who  failed  to  call  for  them,  and  by 
now  they  had  become  putrid.  Hence  the  eggs 
that  remained  after  the  swine  had  enjoyed  their 
feast  had  such  an  unbearable  odor  that  I 
hired  a  wagoner  to  haul  them  to  an  unin- 
habited section;  the  very  memory  of  them 
now  is  nauseating  and  unendurable.  Brother 
Henry  is  said  to  have  kept  this  store  in  Billings- 
ville,  Indiana,  but  the  fact  would  be  far  more 
correctly  stated,  if  we  said  that  the  store  kept 
brother  Henry. 

He  was  always  a  great  admirer  of  the  fair 
sex,  and  although  industrious,  he  was  some- 
what irregular  in  his  habits.  But  there  was 
one  marked  exception  to  his  deficiency.  In 
correspondence  he  was  punctuality  and  in- 
formality combined.  His  evident  preference 
was  for  young  ladies.  But  in  order  not  to  ex- 
cite jealous  feelings,  he  addressed  letters  re- 
plete with  expressions  of  equal  attachment  to 

71 


all,  and  he  favored  them  all  so  equally,  that  if 
the  name  had  been  omitted  from  the  letters, 
each  might  have  been  mistaken  for  the  other. 

Billingsville  recalls  an  amusing  experience. 
I  was  mounted  on  one  of  my  horses,  the  other 
following  like  a  dog,  jogging  toward  home 
after  a  long  trip.  On  my  way  I  met  a  drover 
with  cattle,  who  asked  my  assistance,  as  one  of 
his  hands  had  been  taken  sick.  The  gentleman 
took  quite  a  fancy  to  me,  and  wanted  to  know 
if  I  would  engage  to  work  for  him.  I  an- 
swered that  I  would  consider  his  proposition. 
At  the  dawn  of  day,  he  asked  me  to  take  his 
place,  while  he  rode  ahead  to  make  arrange- 
ments to  stay  overnight.  As  I  rode  up  to  the 
gate,  the  drover  stood  talking  to  the  farmer 
who  had  addressed  me  as  "Mr.  Stix,"  to  the 
great  astonishment  of  my  new  acquaintance 
"Who  is  that  young  man?"  he  inquired.  The 
farmer  replied,  "That  is  our  merchant  at 
Billingsville."  I  enjoyed  the  joke,  regarding 
it  as  a  compliment,  that  he  fancied  he  had  met 
a  good  German  boy. 

During  the  years  1847  and  1848,  the  time  of 
the  Mexican  War,  and  of  the  Irish  Famine, 
Stix  Bros,  had  two  respectable  country  stores, 
one  in  Mason,  Ohio,  the  other  in  Billingsville, 
Indiana.    We  then  formed  a  partnership  with 

72 


Richard  R.  Conklin  for  the  purpose  of  buying 
corn  and  oats  throughout  the  surrounding 
country.  Mr.  Conklin  had  the  reputation  of 
being  a  rich  man.  He  owned  a  white  lead 
factory,  a  feed  store,  and  was  largely  inter- 
ested in  building  a  tunnel  from  Deercreek, 
running  north.  We  purchased  all  the  corn  and 
oats  we  could  get  within  a  reasonable  distance 
at  the  market  price,  and  had  difficulty  in  finding 
room  to  store  it  in  the  city.  Mr.  Conklin  was 
to  furnish  money  when  it  was  needed,  but  most 
of  the  farmers  from  whom  we  bought,  pre- 
ferred to  let  their  cash  stand  until  the  grain  we 
had  purchased  from  them  was  all  delivered. 
When  we  first  commenced  buying,  we  paid 
about  12^2  cents  a  bushel  for  oats  and  corn  de- 
livered in  our  receiving  warehouses  at  Oxford, 
Hamilton,  and  in  the  city,  the  charge  for 
freight  making  the  cost  reach  20  to  22^  cents; 
later  on  it  advanced  about  10%.  Securing  all 
the  warehouse  accommodations  which  the  city 
afforded,  if  my  memory  serves  me  right,  we 
shipped  all  our  oats  as  fast  as  we  received 
them,  to  the  commission  house  of  Hill  Bros, 
in  New  Orleans,  who  sold  the  first  shipments 
promptly  at  a  considerable  profit,  while  later 
on,  they  kept  accumulating  and  giving  excuses 
for  not  remitting  returns.    We  were  much 

73 


disturbed  by  an  early  cessation  of  the  Mexican 
War,  as  we  needed  money  to  pay  bills  of  our 
regular  business,  for  we  had  been  obliged  to 
advance  part  of  the  money,  as  Mr.  Conklin  re- 
fused to  sell  the  corn  for  more  than  double 
its  original  cost.  Therefore  we  were  cramped 
for  ready  funds.  I  insisted  that  Mr.  Conklin 
should  buy  out  our  interest  in  the  New  Orleans 
oats,  paying  in  cash  its  market  value,  less  the 
commission,  which  he  did.  In  a  few  days 
Hill  Bros,  absconded,  never  paying  one  cent  of 
their  indebtedness;  the  amount  was  a  large 
one.  I  still  kept  urging  the  sale  of  our  corn 
without  any  effect.  The  trouble  was,  that  Mr. 
Conklin  was  too  wealthy  a  man  to  pay  any  at- 
tention to  our  necessities  or  protests.  At  last 
the  news  came  that  all  the  corn  which  had 
been  shipped  in  sailing  vessels  had  become  wet 
and  mouldy,  thoroughly  impregnated  with  salt 
water,  and  totally  unfit  to  be  used  as  food, 
either  for  man  or  beast.  The  market  turned 
to  a  very  poor  one ;  the  prices  not  one-third  the 
offers  we  had  received  before.  As  we  could 
find  no  sale,  we  lost  heavily  on  the  corn,  and 
we  could  not  get  even  the  price  of  making  the 
bags,  so  this  was  in  addition  a  serious  outlay 
without  any  return.  We  might  have  sold  out 
for  about  60  cents  a  bushel,  before  the  news 

74 


reached  this  country  that  all  the  corn  so  shipped 
was  spoiled  at  sea.  but  afterwards  we  could  not 
get  a  sum  worth  accepting.  While  we  con- 
sidered ourselves  quite  rich  young  men  before 
receiving  the  news  from  Europe,  we  were  now 
satisfied  to  save  our  good  name,  which  we 
managed  to  do  by  sacrificing  all  we  possessed. 
It  took  a  long  time  to  get  out  of  debt.  Some 
of  our  friends  and  acquaintances,  among  them 
our  old  friend  William  Bake,  a  noble  man,  such 
as  one  seldom  meets,  offered  to  take  goods 
from  us  during  this  financial  embarrassment, 
instead  of  ready  money. 

Owing  to  my  close  and  intense  application 
to  business,  while  buying  grain  I  often 
traveled  all  night,  catching  what  rest  I  could 
get  in  my  wagon,  giving  my  horses  the  reins, 
and  their  own  time,  and  then  I  worked  steadily 
all  day. 

Going  over  the  same  road  so  frequently,  the 
toll-keepers  knew  me  and  did  not  wake  me.  On 
one  occasion  I  was  aroused  by  the  sudden  stop- 
ping of  my  team.  Looking  out.  I  was  startled 
by  finding  myself  in  front  of  our  store, 
forty  miles  from  my  starting  point.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  strain,  both  mental  and  physical, 
without  any  cessation.  I  was  taken  very  ill. 
with  severe  pains  in  my  head.    I  remember 

75 


asking  my  mother  to  remove  my  watch  from 
my  pocket,  as  I  could  not  endure  its  ticking. 
Dr.  De  Hart  cupped  my  temples,  which  gave 
me  relief. 

When  I  again  felt  able  to  join  my  parents  at 
their  meals,  mother  placed  an  upholstered  chair 
for  me  at  the  table.  I  requested  her  not  to  do 
so,  unless  I  was  really  ill  enough  to  warrant 
such  indulgence  and  care ;  but  that  was  always 
her  natural  manner,  full  of  love  and  devoted 
attention. 

My  remark  as  to  traveling  40  miles  during 
the  night,  does  not  mean  that  I  did  not  often 
look  to  see  if  all  was  right  on  my  way  to  our 
Indiana  store. 

In  the  year  1847,  I  nad  an  amusing  ex- 
perience while  passing  a  toll-gate.  I  drove 
quite  rapidly,  more  to  display  the  fine  points 
of  my  team,  than  to  save  time.  I  had  wrapped 
up  in  a  piece  of  paper,  which  I  threw  to  the 
keeper,  some  change  which  I  thought  would 
be  the  correct  amount  of  toll.  My  calculation 
was  at  fault  because  the  Government  had  re- 
cently passed  a  law  of  which  I  was  not  aware, 
and  consequently,  the  amount  that  I  gave  him 
was  short  one  cent. 

When  I  had  gone  about  one  hundred  yards, 
I  heard  the  gate-keeper  call  out  after  me.  I 

76 


pulled  up  as  soon  as  I  could.  The  man  was 
quite  angry,  and  authoritatively  demanded  the 
extra  cent.  I  asked  pardon,  when  informed, 
for  not  knowing  the  new  requirements,  and 
handed  him  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  expecting  he 
would  give  me  back  the  change  without  further 
delay.  He  took  the  quarter,  but  insisted  upon 
my  driving  back  to  the  gate  to  receive  what 
was  due  me,  as  a  sort  of  revenge  for  the  trouble 
to  which  he  had  been  put  by  mistake.  I  did 
not  propose  humbling  myself  by  acceding  to 
the  demand  dictated  by  such  a  disagreeable 
spirit,  so  hastily  replied,  "All  right,  that  pays 
for  next  time  too."  A  short  time  after,  I 
passed  the  gate  from  the  west  and  called  out 
as  I  rode  through,  "I  paid  you  last  time." 
Whether  my  watchful  friend  was  confused  be- 
cause I  came  from  the  same  direction  as  before, 
or  whether  he  failed  to  hear  what  I  said,  as  he 
afterwards  asserted,  I  do  not  know,  but  he 
mounted  a  horse  and  galloped  after  me,  shout- 
ing at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  and  commanding 
me  to  stop.  I  had  a  fine,  fast  team,  so  kept 
him  within  a  hopeful,  encouraging  distance, 
giving  him  a  lively  chase  for  several  miles.  I 
could  have  distanced  him  completely  without 
much  exertion,  but  concluded  to  turn  in  at 
Beaver  Tavern,  to  water  my  horses,  and  give 

77 


my  enraged  pursuer  a  chance  to  overtake  me. 
The  landlord,  who  was  an  acquaintance  of 
mine,  was  also  one  of  the  directors  of  the  road, 
and  when  he  heard  my  story,  he  reprimanded 
the  toll-keeper  for  his  conduct,  and  advised 
him  in  the  future,  to  use  more  common  sense, 
and  act  less  officiously,  so  that  his  services 
would  be  more  appreciated  by  both  the  officials 
and  the  traveling  public.  His  horse  was  yet 
blowing  from  the  race  when  I  left  him,  a  wiser, 
but  a  deeply  disappointed  man,  since  he  had  ex- 
pected commendation.  He  learned  a  useful 
lesson,  however,  by  this  experience,  for  he 
never  again  annoyed  the  writer  on  any  future 
occasion.  At  another  time  while  collecting 
goods  with  my  wagon  and  team,  bought  at 
different  stores,  I  was  holding  the  lines  and  a 
porter  was  lifting  a  box  into  the  wagon  when 
a  shriek  from  a  steamboat  whistle  startled  the 
horses.  They  ran  wildly,  breaking  the  lines 
by  which  I  held  them,  and  never  stopped  in 
their  headlong  career  until  they  brought  up  in 
a  drug  store  with  not  a  wheel  left  on  the  wagon. 
The  police  arrested  me,  but  I  proved  to  the 
court  that  the  accident  was  no  fault  of  mine  so 
I  was  released,  and  sent  my  wagon  to  the  shop 
for  repairs.  This  misfortune  occurred  on  the 
second  day  of  a  holiday.    Father  and  his  good 

78 


orthodox  friends  considered  that  I  had  but  re- 
ceived my  just  reward,  and  thought  it  a  judg- 
ment. 

During  the  same  year,  1847,  we>  Stix  Bros., 
bought  up  wheat  on  our  own  account.  While 
we  were  threshing  at  Peter  Bake's  house  with- 
out his  charging  us  for  the  keep  of  our  men  or 
horses,  I  had  bought  his  wheat  to  be  delivered 
in  the  future  at  Hamilton.  When  wheat  ad- 
vanced in  price,  and  he  wTould  not  take  pay  for 
our  board  bill,  I  canceled  his  contract  with  me, 
and  he  received  50%  more  for  his  wheat  than 
I  had  contracted  to  pay  for  it.  All  the  wheat 
which  we  had  purchased  up  to  this  time,  was 
delivered  at  the  hydraulic  mill  in  Hamilton, 
and  its  managers  were  to  pay  the  price  for  it 
when  we  called  and  asked  for  the  pay.  I  had 
the  choice  of  asking  Hamilton  prices  or  Cin- 
cinnati prices,  less  three  cents  per  bushel  for 
freight,  if  it  were  to  be  Cincinnati  prices.  One 
Saturday,  I  started  to  sell  our  wheat.  I  had 
been  riding  for  some  hours,  when  I  missed  my 
pocket-book,  containing  some  hundreds  of  dol- 
lars. I  anxiously  returned,  riding  back,  and 
fortunately  found  it  in  the  middle  of  the 
road,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town  I  had  just 
left. 

At  this  point  my  writing  is  interrupted  to 
79 


take  the  baby,  Dorothy,  out — it  being  such  a 
beautiful  bright  day,  the  26th  of  November, 
1894. 

It  had  been  pouring  rain  all  day  and  hardly 
any  one  had  passed  over  the  road.  This 
delay  made  it  impossible  to  return  to  the 
hydraulic  mill  at  Hamilton  in  time  for  my 
money  that  evening,  as  it  was  after  dark  when 
I  reached  the  stables  at  which  I  left  my  horse. 
To  relieve  the  tedium  of  a  Sunday  at  Hamilton 
I  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  of  hiring 
a  horse  and  buggy  and  taking  a  lady  friend  out 
driving. 

Monday  morning  I  rose  at  an  early  hour  and 
found  that  the  price  of  wheat  which  was  quoted 
at  90  to  92  cents  on  Saturday,  had  advanced  to 
$1.00.  On  my  arrival  at  Hamilton,  I  also 
learned  that  some  of  the  smaller  mills,  unable 
to  procure  wheat,  had  offered  to  give  ten  cents 
more  than  the  price  in  Cincinnati ;  thus  making 
a  market  value  of  $1.10.  As  the  hydraulic  mill 
was  unwilling  to  pay  us  this  price,  I  went  to 
see  my  friend  Mr.  Gerstem,  the  county  treas- 
urer, who  introduced  me  to  a  first  class  at- 
torney. He  arranged  with  the  hydraulic  mill 
people  to  settle  with  me,  for  one-half  cash  and 
the  balance  to  be  paid  in  a  few  days.  This  was 
quite  a  profitable  venture  and  helped  us  out 

80 


very  much  on  the  sale  of  corn ;  but  this  termi- 
nated all  further  speculations  in  grain. 

Another  enterprise  of  mine,  and  one  in  which 
I  was  quite  successful,  was  that  of  selling  car- 
riages. I  had  them  built,  and  then  paid  for 
them  in  goods.  The  last  one,  I  recollect,  was 
purchased  by  my  friend,  John  Dodd,  for  about 
$200,  If  I  had  continued  peddling,  I  could 
have  wonderfully  increased  my  business  in 
various  departments,  for  I  enjoyed  the  fullest 
confidence  of  all  with  whom  I  had  dealings. 
After  we  gave  up,  many  German  pedlers  who 
went  over  the  same  route  we  had  traveled, 
claimed  relationship  with  us. 

Our  life  was  a  very  pleasant  one.  W e  made 
sincere  friends,  many  of  whom  I  have  since 
met,  and  toward  whom  I  have  endeavored  to 
reciprocate  the  kindness  so  universally  ex- 
tended to  us,  and  the  hospitality  with  which  we 
were  ever  greeted. 

Among  the  many  occupations  in  which  I 
have  engaged  is  included  that  of  auctioneering. 
At  Urbana  I  sold  goods  in  this  way  twice  a 
week.  I  also  disposed  of  the  stock  of  a  Mr. 
Watson  in  Billingsville,  and  our  own  at  Mason. 
I  did  all  the  crying  myself  and  made  quite  a 
fair  success  of  it. 

The  Billingsville  stock  was  sold  on  credit  to 
81 


a  Matthew  Lewis,  who  was  highly  recom- 
mended by  some  of  our  best  friends.  He  re- 
moved the  goods  to  Laurel,  Indiana.  When 
we  became  suspicious  in  regard  to  his  move- 
ments, we  employed  a  person  to  watch  him, 
who  reported  that  we  had  better  come  on  at 
once,  as  he  was  packing  up  all  his  effects 
and  evidently  intended  swindling  us.  Subse- 
quently he  sold  out  and  ran  away. 

I  reached  Laurel  the  very  evening  that  he 
left.  After  feeding  my  horse  and  taking  my 
supper,  I  started  for  Cincinnati,  where  I  hoped 
to  overtake  him.  My  idea  was  that  he  was 
most  likely  to  try  to  dispose  of  his  horses,  with 
which  he  made  his  escape,  in  the  city. 

I  left,  intending  to  ride  all  night,  as  Laurel 
was  about  50  miles  from  Cincinnati,  expecting 
to  reach  that  city  by  morning.  In  crossing  the 
White  Water  River  sometime  after  midnight 
on  the  ice,  it  unfortunately  gave  way.  The  river 
was  too  deep  for  me  to  touch  bottom,  and  my 
horse  swam  to  the  opposite  shore.  At  best,  I 
could  not  swim,  and  with  my  heavy  overcoat, 
gloves  and  shoes,  I  was  even  less  able  to  make 
a  successful  attempt. 

Throwing  away  my  gloves  and  overshoes  as 
useless  encumbrances,  I  clung  with  desperation 
to  the  horse's  tail,  and  finally  managed  to  get 

82 


upon  his  back,  as  he  broke  his  way  through  the 
ice.  During  the  ride  I  was  soon  frozen  to  the 
saddle. 

Near  daylight,  I  reached  a  house  whose  il- 
luminated window  had  invited  me  onward,  and 
encouraged  me  to  feel  that  warmth  and  shelter 
were  not  far  away.  I  hallooed  for  some  time ; 
at  last  some  one  came  to  my  relief.  This  man 
unfastened  the  saddle  to  which  I  was  frozen, 
and  carried  me  into  the  distillery  on  the  out- 
skirts of  Matamoras,  Indiana,  where  they  doc- 
tored me  up  with  whiskey  both  inside  and  out. 
When  I  had  taken  about  half  a  pint,  they  sent 
to  the  house  for  dry  clothing  and  a  carriage 
with  a  bed  in  it,  to  take  me  to  the  hotel  at 
Matamoras.  There  was  no  charge  for  any- 
thing in  the  way  of  service,  excepting  what  I 
gave  to  the  driver.  I  went  to  bed,  sent  back 
t-he  borrowed  garments,  had  mine  dried,  and  by 
next  morning  was  again  on  my  way. 

On  reaching  Cincinnati,  I  went  directly  to 
an  auction  stable,  where  I  found  Mr.  Lewis' 
horses.  I  had  them  attached,  and  he  ran  away 
on  hearing  of  my  appearance  on  the  scene. 

After  complying  with  the  requirements  of 
the  law  in  advertising,  and  paying  expenses,  I 
received  the  little  "that  remained.  I  heard 
nothing  personally  from  Mr.  Lewis.  About 

83 


ten  years  after,  I  received  an  anonymous  letter, 
mailed  from  Missouri,  informing  me  that  this 
man  had  two  pieces  of  property  in  his  name.  I 
sent  my  claim  to  a  lawyer,  and  after  a  suit, 
bought  the  land  at  sheriff's  sale.  Mr.  Shenk- 
lin,  the  lawyer,  paid  the  taxes  on  the  wrong 
land  for  some  time.  Other  claims  were  made 
by  the  wife  for  her  dowry,  and  so,  after  retain- 
ing the  property  for  about  twenty-five  years, 
a  Mr.  Stein  sold  it  for  me,  and  I  do  not  believe 
that  I  ever  realized  the  money  I  had  expended 
upon  it  in  paying  the  sheriff,  and  other 
charges.  In  fact,  I  am  quite  confident  I  was 
out  of  pocket  besides,  for  expenses.  My  at- 
torney alone  made  a  good  stroke  of  business 
out  of  this  transaction.  Although  deficient  in 
some  things,  he  was  never  found  to  be  so  in 
this  particular  respect. 

Father  had  emigrated  to  America  in  1844  by 
advice  of  his  physician.  He  had  accordingly 
sold  his  house  and  such  possessions  as  he  did  not 
want  to  take  with  him,  packed  up  his  effects, 
and  left  his  native  land  with  four  children. 

In  1848  father  was  engaged  in  a  grocery 
business  which  I  started  for  him  in  Cincinnati, 
as  a  wholesale  trader  in  eggs.  He  sold  a  quan- 
tity to  a  Mr.  Ransehof,  who,  ten  days  after  the 
purchase,  brought  them  back  and  demanded 

84 


his  money.  He  left  them  in  front  of  the  store 
in  a  new  half  bushel  measure.  Owing  to  their 
disagreeable  odor,  we  hauled  them  down  to 
the  river,  and  the  new  receptacle  in  which 
they  were  returned,  was  ample  compensation 
for  their  cartage. 

Now  our  revered  parents  were  with  us  in 
America,  and  were  surrounded  by  their  six 
children,  all  of  us  anxious  to  do  what  we  could 
for  their  general  comfort,  and  happiness  and 
with  one  accord,  we  tried  to  induce  father  to 
retire  from  active  wcfrk.  Mother,  with  her 
calm,  strong,  religious  feeling,  learned  to  be 
content  and  never  murmured.  It  was  such  a 
blessing  to  see  their  dear  faces  smiling  upon  us 
again,  that  with  united  voices  we  urged  father 
to  devote  himself  to  rest  for  the  balance  of  his 
life  and  to  enjoy  thoroughly  seeing  his  wife  so 
happy.  He  olid  indeed  feel  proud  and  satisfied. 
Nevertheless  the  habits  of  years  of  industry 
and  activity  were  still  so  strong  within  him, 
that  he  embraced  the  first  opportunity  to  be 
busy  and  useful  with  that  earnestness  of  pur- 
pose, which  always  insured  success.  He  pro- 
vided his  family  with  both  necessities  and 
comforts  most  liberally,  and,  in  a  short  time,  he 
owned  his  own  house  and  occupied  it — a  better 
one  than  that  in  which  I  lived.    He  also  never 

85 


failed  to  aid  those  who  needed  assistance,  for 
he  was  very  benevolent  and  generous  in  sup- 
plying help  to  those  whom  he  considered 
worthy.  He  was  an  excellent  judge  of  char- 
acter, and  was  rarely  deceived  by  any  impostor. 

Mother  was  exactly  the  reverse.  She  had 
never  learned  to  refuse  an  appeal,  and  her  rep- 
utation was  thoroughly  established  for  being 
easily  imposed  upon.  So  kind  was  her  heart, 
that,  although  duped  as  often  as  there  were 
days  in  the  week,  when  the  swindler  was  ex- 
posed, she  invariably  remarked,  "Well,  I  will 
never  be  imposed  upon  in  that  way  again/' 
The  next  time  there  was  only  a  slight  change 
in  the  form  of  the  appeal  but  with  the  same 
result.  The  principle  upon  which  she  based 
her  action  was,  "Better  be  cheated  a  hundred 
times  than  let  one  worthy  person  in  need 
suffer  from  a  refusal."  Her  maxim  often 
quoted,  and  always  lived  up  to,  was,  "If  charity 
is  bestowed  at  all,  give  with  a  will  at  once,  and 
you  really  give  doubly/ ' 

The  greatest  and  most  satisfactory  pleasure 
of  her  life  was  enjoyed,  when  she  asked  her 
children  for  liberal  contributions  to  cancel 
some  promise  she  had  made  of  assistance,  on 
condition  that  our  business  had  been  good 
during  the  year.    In  1878  I  remember  she 

86 


asked  me  if  we  had  been  successful,  and,  of 
course,  all  was  extremely  prosperous,  if  dear 
mother  inquired.  Thereupon  she  requested 
me  to  give  her  Sioo,  which  I  handed  her  most 
willingly,  although  my  share  of  the  profits  at 
our  annual  accounting  were  about  S380  net. 
My  recompense  was  complete  when  I  saw  the 
pleasure  she  enjoyed  in  dispensing  gifts  to  her 
pensioners.  From  my  purse  many  received 
her  bounty,  and  never  looked  for  it  in  vain. 
When  she  had  but  little,  she  had  to  give  spar- 
ingly; but  as  her  means  increased,  so  did  her 
charities  multiply — she  was  never  so  poor  as  to 
be  unable  to  give  a  portion  to  those  whom  she 
believed  to  have  less  than  herself. 

When  my  parents  lived  over  the  store,  I  ate 
so  little  that  my  mother  could  not  but  believe 
that  I  refrained  because  I  was  dissatisfied  with 
her  table.  At  length  she  asked  me  to  exchange 
my  boarding  house  for  a  time,  letting  one  of 
my  young  men  take  my  place,  while  I  ate  at 
Mr.  Martins,  on  Walnut  Street,  which  was 
the  clerk's  residence.  To  please  dear  mother 
I  consented  to  do  as  she  wished,  for  she  fancied 
that  American  cooking  might  suit  me  better 
than  the  German,  and  that  I  would  eat  more 
heartily  in  consequence.  Though  I  was  not 
at  all  anxious  to  make  the  change,  I  was 

87 


too  busy  to  give  the  matter  much  thought. 
Learning  soon  after  that  mother  was  crying 
over  my  consenting  to  this  new  arrangement,  I 
was  only  too  glad  to  give  up  the  plan,  and  re- 
sume my  seat  at  the  parental  table.  In  this 
connection  I  may  say  that  I  never  cared  much 
about  eating  and  drinking,  being  a  firm  be- 
liever in  the  declaration  that  one  should  eat  to 
live  rather  than  live,  as  many  do,  to  eat. 

The  following  incident  centered  about 
mother  as  well.  We  had  but  one  hydrant  to 
supply  the  water  which  was  common  to  all  the 
six  families  who  occupied  the  neighboring 
dwellings.  One  of  the  tenants,  a  German,  who 
had  imported  his  home-acquired  prejudices, 
and  had  not  yet  parted  with  them,  annoyed  my 
family  in  every  conceivable  way,  never  losing 
an  opportunity  to  be  disagreeable.  On  one  oc- 
casion a  certain  young  girl  pretended  to  have 
use  for  the  hydrant,  and  kept  my  mother  wait- 
ing an  unreasonable  time  for  the  water  she 
wanted  to  procure.  Growing  weary  of  seeing 
my  mother  thus  interfered  with,  I  stepped  for- 
ward and  demanded  of  the  young  girl  that  she 
should  give  my  mother  a  chance.  She  declined, 
whereupon  I  picked  up  the  vessel,  which  had 
been  filled  to  overflowing,  and  discharged  the 
contents  without  much  ado  over  the  trouble- 

88 


some  damsel.  Though  she  only  received  a 
portion  of  the  shower,  while  my  mother,  who 
snatched  the  bucket,  caught  the  greater  share, 
she  brought  suit  against  me.  When  the  case 
came  to  trial,  the  judge  decided  in  my  favor. 
I  was  defended  by  Judge  Stallo,  and  our  op- 
ponents were  obliged  to  pay  the  costs. 

About  this  time  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  , 
and  became  allied  in  business  with,  a  young 
man  named  Victor  Wallach,  who  came  from 
an  excellent  family  in  Cassel,  Germany.  His 
brother  was  engaged  in  the  stationery  business 
in  Xew  York,  and  was  a  prominent  and  re- 
spected man.  Although  Victor  Wallach  was 
an  excellent  salesman,  popular  among  the 
ladies,  handsome,  charming,  highly  educated, 
possessing  every  qualification  to  make  him  a 
successful  business  man,  yet  he  had  never 
saved  a  dollar,  had  no  credit,  and  deserved 
none.  This  man  made  great  promises  and,  as 
far  as  selling  goods  was  concerned,  surpassed 
every  expectation.  He  soon  relapsed,  how- 
ever, into  vices,  wickedness  and  immorality. 
His  passion  for  gambling  had  been  so  long  an 
indulgence,  that  he  yielded  to  the  temptation, 
and  I  realized,  with  deep  regret,  that  our  pros- 
perous business,  promising  such  a  brilliant 
future,  was  doomed  to  disaster,  through  the 

89 


unprincipled  conduct  of  this  man,  who  was  so 
gifted,  amiable  and  fascinating  that  he  was 
both  trusted  and  beloved. 

It  was  indeed  a  sad  awakening,  when  my 
suspicions  became  confirmed,  and  failure 
seemed  inevitable.  As  a  salesman,  my  partner 
was  the  best  I  have  ever  met.  I  could  not 
compare  with  him  in  this  respect.  Although 
hard  at  work  all  day,  he  was  no  less  busy 
every  night  after  he  left  the  store,  gambling 
without  any  conscientious  scruples  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  those  extravagant  debts 
were  to  be  paid.  So  card  playing  was  his 
financial  ruin.  His  favorite  game  was  poker, 
and  to  make,  good  his  losses,  he  not  only 
stole  money,  but  resorted  to  all  kinds  of  decep- 
tions and  treachery.  He  had  accomplices  who 
took  goods  which  were  bought  with  this  pur- 
pose in  view.  When  I  found  myself  involved 
in  such  intricacies,  seeing  no  means  of  escape, 
I  consulted  some  of  my  heaviest  creditors, 
among  whom  was  Mr.  John  W.  Ellis,  and  in- 
quired what  would  be  the  best  course  for  me  to 
take.  They  advised  me  to  diminish  my  in- 
debtedness as  much  as  possible,  and  when  the 
time  came,  they  would  help  me  to  get  rid  of 
Mr.  Wallach,  and  if  possible,  try  and  keep  up 
the  business.    Amid  all  these  difficulties  and 

90 


complications,  I  was  compelled  to  be  absent, 
in  order  to  attend  to  personal  affairs  requiring 
immediate  attention.  It  was  my  purpose  when 
leaving,  to  be  away  several  days,  but  return- 
ing home  unexpectedly  in  the  evening,  I  found 
the  cash  short  a  very  large  amount.  Early 
next  morning,  one  of  my  creditors,  who  had 
been  playing  in  the  game  with  my  partner  the 
previous  night,  sent  for  me  to  let  me  know 
that  he  had  seen  Mr.  Wallach  give  a  large 
check  of  several  hundred  dollars  to  one  of  the 
party,  and  so  notified  me  in  order  that  I  might 
stop  its  payment.  I  did  so,  and  again  con- 
sulted Mr.  Ellis,  who  proposed  I  should  close 
the  store  and  put  the  key  in  my  pocket.  One 
friend  directed  me  to  an  attorney  whose  spe- 
cial legal  practice  was  in  settling  up  business 
difficulties  of  this  kind.  His  counsel  was  that 
I  should  sell  out  my  store  to  my  father,  and, 
at  any  cost,  get  Wallach  to  sign  with  me,  giv- 
ing me  to  understand  that  this  was  the  only 
thing  I  could  do  under  the  circumstances.  I 
paid  him  his  charges  and  decided  to  look  up 
another  attorney,  who  did  not  attend  exclu- 
sively to  failures  and  bankruptcy. 

A  friend  accompanied  me  to  his  lawyer,  John 
Kebler.  After  explaining  the  matter  to  him, 
he  remarked,  "If  you  are  one-half  as  honest 

91 


as  you  appear,  I  will  get  you  a  settlement  with 
your  home  creditors  before  you  go  to  bed  this 
night."  He  sent  for  them  at  once,  to  find  out 
their  intentions.  They  showed  no  opposition, 
and  proposed  that  all  whom  we  owed  should 
meet,  and  they  would  agree  to  act  fairly.  Mr. 
Kebler  called  the  meeting  that  very  evening. 
I  offered  them  all  I  had,  if  they  would  release 
me.  My  keys,  books  and  money  had  been 
taken  out  of  the  bank,  so  as  to  make  it  doubly 
certain  that  the  check  given  by  my  partner  the 
evening  before,  amounting  to  nearly  $1,000, 
should  not  be  paid.  Wallach  had  overdrawn 
to  a  large  amount.  Still  his  attorney  would 
not  give  up  the  assets  to  me,  nor  to  our  cred- 
itors, even  under  the  promise  of  releasing  him 
from  all  liabilities,  but  demanded  the  sum  of 
$5,000  to  yield  his  interest  in  the  firm.  By 
the  advice  of  my  lawyer  and  creditors,  I  gave 
him  about  one-half  this  sum,  and  within  a  few 
days  he  lost  at  gambling  nearly  all  he  had 
received  from  me,  and  insisted  that  I  should 
furnish  him  with  sufficient  money  to  take  him 
to  California.  Our  creditors  agreed  to  accept 
50  cents  on  the  dollar.  In  making  such  com- 
promise, I  had  agreed  to  furnish  my  creditors 
who  asked  for  it  an  endorser;  but  many  of 
them  did  not  want  any — among  this  number 

92 


were  friends  with  whom  I  had  grown  up  from 
childhood. 

When  I  asked  Martin  Stadler,  of  Stadler 
Bros,  about  endorsing  for  me,  he  showed  a 
certain  hesitation  about  complying  with  my  re- 
quest, and  gave  as  an  excuse,  that  he  wished 
to  consult  his  brother  Max.  I  did  not  call  on 
him  again,  as  I  had  no  difficulty  in  securing 
all  the  favors  of  this  kind  I  needed. 

Trauenstein  &  Co.,  and  Stix,  Krouse  &  Co. 
volunteered  their  signatures  for  all  I  required. 
Later  on,  the  firm  of  Trauenstein  &  Co.  was 
ruined  by  endorsing  to  a  large  amount  for 
the  liquor  house  of  A.  Louis.  I  came  forward, 
remembering  their  kindness  and  generosity  to 
me,  and  acted  as  security  for  a  portion  of  their 
settlement,  remarking  that  I  would  reciprocate 
their  favors  to  me,  even  if  I  had  to  pay  their 
obligations  myself,  to  the  amount  of  my  en- 
dorsement. 

My  chief  delight  was  in  selling  goods.  I 
must  have  proved  a  success,  for  many  of  our 
best  customers  preferred  to  have  me  wait  upon 
them.  This,  however,  was  only  after  my  sep- 
aration from  Mr.  Wallach,  as  I  was  not  nearly 
as  popular  with  the  ladies  as  he  was.  We  were 
very  busy  from  the  time  we  opened  our  retail 
dry  goods  store  on  Fifth  Street,  and  after  that 

93 


I  started  anew  with  determination  and  energy, 
the  odds  all  against  me.  I  worked  late  and 
early,  practicing  the  strictest  economy.  I  was 
under  little  or  no  expense,  paying  neither  board 
nor  washing,  as  I  lived  with  my  dear  parents. 

I  smoked  no  cigars  nor  pipe,  drank  not  even 
a  glass  of  beer,  and  blacked  my  own  boots.  I 
do  not  believe  that  my  personal  expenses  were 
as  much  as  $10  a  year  after  our  failure.  I 
became  quite  appreciated  by  the  trade ;  business 
gradually  increased,  and  my  reputation  for  a 
cheap  and  honest  house  was  my  biggest  card. 
A  short  time  before  my  marriage,  one  of  my 
lady  friends  presented  me  with  a  white  em- 
broidered vest.  She  afterwards  became  the 
wife  of  Mayor  Harrison  of  Cincinnati.  I  made 
it  my  life  study  to  do  what  was  right,  and 
my  religious  duty  to  do  to  others  as  I  would 
have  them  do  to  me.  My  word  was  my  bond, 
and  I  never,  to  my  knowledge,  went  back  upon 
it.  When  I  review  this  portion  of  my  past  life, 
I  remember  that  many  of  my  opponents  prophe- 
sied my  failure.  Nevertheless,  I  overcame  the 
many  obstacles  by  which  I  was  surrounded, 
and  when  I  quit  the  retail,  and  commenced 
the  jobbing  business,  my  neighbors  were  my 
first  and  best  customers.  If  it  had  not  been 
for  my  partner,  Mr.  Swarts,  I  should  never 

94 


have  changed,  as  I  always  liked  the  retail  busi- 
ness, and  found  it  hard  to  give  it  up. 

Some  time  after  the  failure  of  Stix  &  Wal- 
lach,  Willie  YVallach,  my  former  partner's 
brother  from  New  York,  came  to  see  me,  and 
by  his  good  logic,  proved  to  me,  that  the  only 
chance  I  would  ever  have  to  realize  on  the  notes 
which  I  held  against  his  brother,  would  be  to 
pay  the  compromised  accounts,  either  all  or  in 
part,  in  which  event  I  might  possibly  secure 
his  brother's  contribution  toward  it.  In  185 1 
I  returned  his  brother's  notes  to  him.  Years 
afterward  he  became  a  rich  man,  but  only  for 
a  short  time.  He  did  not  pay  anything,  how- 
ever, and  I  was  unable  to  meet  any  indebted- 
ness in  excess  of  my  compromise. 

The  only  opposition  I  met  with  at  the  time 
of  my  settlement  came  from  the  house  of 
Sieving  &  Co.  They  felt  annoyed  because  I 
had  bought  a  considerable  bill  only  a  few  days 
before  my  failure,  and,  while  I  had  increased 
the  amount  due  them,  I  had  paid  Mr.  Calvert, 
who  kept  a  notion  house  on  the  corner  of  Sixth 
Street  and  Lodge  Alley,  about  one-third  of  all 
I  owed  him,  which  was  not  yet  due.  I  ex- 
plained every  account  for  which  we  were  liable, 
and  clearly  demonstrated  that  they  were  all  re- 
duced in  amounts,  from  the  sums  for  which  we 

95 


were  responsible  some  months  previous,  with 
the  exception  of  Mr.  Calvert's,  which  fact  in- 
duced me  to  pay  him  a  part  of  our  obligation 
in  advance. 

Mr.  Calvert  arose  in  the  meeting,  and  re- 
marked that  if  my  payment  to  him  prevented 
Mr..  Sieving  from  giving  his  consent  to  the 
settlement,  he  would  turn  the  amount  he  had 
received  into  the  general  fund  for  distribution 
among  the  creditors,  should  that  be  considered 
by  all  as  the  correct  adjustment.  They,  how- 
ever, universally  agreed  that  he  had  a  perfect 
right  to  the  money,  and  Mr.  Sieving  signed  the 
papers  with  the  others. 

Shortly  after  my  dissolution  with  Mr.  Wal- 
lach  as  partner,  I  learned  that  James  Ullman, 
a  confederate,  claimed  thousands  of  dollars  on 
notes  of  Stix  &  Wallach,  undoubtedly  given  by 
Mr.  Wallach  without  either  my  knowledge  or 
consent  as  accommodation  paper,  bearing  the 
firm's  signature. 

Mr.  Kebier,  my  attorney,  took  the  bull  by 
the  horns,  stopped  the  notes  in  the  hands  of 
the  bankers,  Goodman  Bros.,  and  brought  suit 
in  the  Court  of  Chancery.  The  bank  insisted 
upon  a  settlement  in  money,  or  new  collateral 
from  Ullman,  and  if  not  promptly  attended  to, 
themselves  threatened  suit,  on  the  ground  that 

96 


they  would  consider  the  notes  fraudulent.  This 
brought  about  the  desired  effect.  This  man 
Ullman  became  a  notorious  gambler,  and  was 
eventually  killed  in  California  for  cheating  at 
cards.  I  have  always  been  convinced  that  my 
partner  was  cheated  daily  while  with  me,  for 
he  constantly  played  poker,  sought  evil  com- 
pany, or  was  on  a  drunken  carousal,  and  so  was 
a  very  easy  victim  for  those  disposed  to  profit 
by  his  dissipations. 

What  might  have  proved  another  serious 
set-back  occurred  about  this  time  too.  Upon 
the  occasion  of  my  sister's  wedding,  I  had 
promised  all  my  employees  a  holiday  to  enable 
them  to  attend  the  ceremony.  To  protect  our 
property  during  our  absence,  father  had  en- 
gaged a  German  woman  to  watch  the  house 
and  the  store  beneath  it.  About  midnight  I 
received  word  that  my  establishment  had  been 
robbed.  It  seems  that  the  store  door  had  been 
opened  with  a  key  of  wThich  the  thief  in  some 
manner  had  obtained  a  wax  impression.  He 
had  been  very  successful,  for  upon  examining 
the  stock,  we  discovered  that  no  less  than 
$1,000  worth  of  silk  had  been  carried  off. 

Upon  consulting  the  woman  whom  we  had 
employed  to  guard  the  premises,  she  acknowl- 
edged that  she  had  heard  some  one  moving 

97 


about  downstairs,  but  that  she  had  been  so 
frightened,  that  she  not  only  had  failed  to  give 
the  alarm,  but  had  hidden  herself  and  remained 
concealed  until  I  had  entered  the  store. 

On  discovering  our  loss,  we  went  imme- 
diately to  the  police  station,  where  we  were 
agreeably  surprised  by  finding  not  only  the 
goods  that  had  been  stolen,  but  also  the  thief 
who  had  stolen  them. 

At  the  time  of  our  dissolution,  I  was  sued 
by  a  merchant  tailor,  Mr.  Holliday,  for  a  large 
amount  due  for  clothes  made  for  Mr.  Wallach. 
At  the  time  I  was  thoroughly  despondent  and 
wearied,  so  my  attorney  advised  me  to  settle 
with  him  in  order  to  save  me  from  further 
annoyance.  At  the  same  time  he  did  not  see 
how  I  could  be  held  responsible  for  my  part- 
ner's private  accounts  for  personal  expenses. 
I  offered  to  pay  the  tailor  in  goods  from  my 
stock,  as  he  had  often  bought  merchandise  from 
us,  but  he  refused  my  proposal  and  sued  for  the 
money.  Mr.  Force,  afterwards  General  Force, 
who  had  just  commenced  practice  as  partner 
of  my  friend  Mr.  Kebler,  was  my  attorney. 
He  asked  Mr.  Holliday  if  he  had  brought  his 
books  into  court  for  consultation  and  confirma- 
tion of  his  claim.  They  were  sent  for,  and  he 
was  required  to  swear  to  their  correctness. 

98 


Then  Mr.  Force  asked  to  see  the  entry  of  Stix 
&  Wallach's  indebtedness.  The  charge  was 
against  Victor  Wallach,  whereupon  Mr.  Force 
told  me  to  go  home,  as  the  Court  and  witnesses 
had  made  a  mistake,  and  I  was  not  the  person 
referred  to  in  the  entry,  and  in  no  respect  liable 
for  the  debt.  He  bade  the  squire  adieu,  and 
so  ended  Mr.  Holliday's  suit.  Undoubtedly  he 
left  his  claim  to  his  descendants  for  collection. 

Another  legal  experience,  of  a  somewhat  dif- 
ferent character  however,  took  place  while  I 
was  stopping  at  a  hotel  in  Liberty,  Indiana. 
A  man  came  into  my  room,  went  down  upon 
his  knees  and  implored  me  for  Heaven's  sake 
to  save  his  son,  who  was  about  to  bring  his 
mother  and  himself  in  sorrow  to  the  grave. 
He  was  laboring  under  such  excitement  that 
it  was  a  long  time  before  I  could  sufficiently 
calm  him  to  inquire  if  he  knew  me.  He  an- 
swered that  he  was  well  aware  that  I  was  Mr. 
Stitt,  the  State  Attorney  from  Richmond. 
With  some  difficulty,  I  convinced  him  that  he 
was  mistaken,  and  that  I  was  really  a  merchant 
of  the  name  of  Stix,  from  Cincinnati,  and  that 
the  Mr.  Stitt  whom  he  wished  to  see  occupied 
the  adjoining  room. 

I  was,  nevertheless,  so  moved  by  his  prayer 
that  I  promised  to  interview  Mr.  Stitt  and  the 

99 


judge  personally,  and  so  do  all  in  my  power  to 
further  his  wishes.  It  so  happened  that  Judge 
Burnsicje,  who  was  the  judge,  was  a  particular 
friend  of  mine.  He  was,  too,  the  father  of  the 
late  General  Burnside,  a  man  of  high  reputa- 
tion, and  great  nobility  of  character. 

The  young  man,  for  whom  my  good  offices 
were  solicited,  was  much  more  of  an  idiot  than 
a  thief,  as  he  had  only  ridden  the  horse  he  was 
charged  with  stealing  about  ten  miles  and  then 
let  him  go.  I  explained  the  circumstance  to 
the  judge  and  prosecuting  attorney  and  ob- 
tained the  release  of  the  young  man.  For  my 
services  in  this  matter  the  father  thanked  me 
upon  his  knees. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  a  Mr.  Hazelhurst 
asked  me  to  see  a  stock  of  goods  belonging  to 
a  Mr.  Payton,  who  had  offered  them  for  sale, 
for  about  two  weeks,  at  $1,000,  and  who  still 
asked  the  same  price — which  seemed  somewhat 
singular,  for  of  course  during  this  time  he 
had  kept  on  disposing  of  his  stock  to  his  regular 
customers. 

I  went  to  see  Mr.  Payton,  an  old  and  inti- 
mate acquaintance,  and  examined  his  goods, 
with  a  view  of  purchasing  them  if  the  price 
was  reasonable.  I  found  that  they  were  a  bar- 
gain, and  would  have  given  more  than  the 

IOO 


price  asked,  rather  than  have  lost  the  oppor- 
tunity of  securing  them.  After  satisfying  my- 
self by  careful  inspection  that  they  were  more 
than  worth  the  money,  I  took  my  gold  watch 
out  of  my  pocket,  worth  about  $60  and  said, 
"I  will  give  you -$900  and  this  watch  to  secure 
the  goods."  He  accepted  my  offer,  and  with- 
out hesitation,  closed  up  the  store  and  handed 
me  the  key.  When  I  reported  this  to  Mr.  Ha- 
zelhurst,  he  felt  somewhat  dubious,  and  gave 
me  to  understand  I  should  have  consulted  him 
before  closing  the  agreement.  While  I  re- 
gretted perhaps  acting  too  hastily  in  the  pur- 
chase, I  much  preferred  having  no  partner 
in  this  enterprise,  and  offered  to  keep  the 
goods  myself,  rather  than  that  he  should  feel 
any  dissatisfaction.  I  would  have  preferred 
giving  him  a  consideration  in  order  to  have  kept 
them  myself.  Mr.  Hazelhurst  was  too  wide 
awake,  however,  to  lose  his  chance  of  the  profit 
we  were  sure  to  make,  so  he  accepted  the  part- 
nership, and  furnished  his  share  of  the  cash 
towards  paying  for  the  goods.  The  next  day 
I  proposed  we  should  divide  the  stock.  Mr. 
Hazelhurst  was  to  take  the  first  $200  worth 
in  groceries,  at  purchase  price,  which  were 
worth  every  cent  of  the  cost,  otherwise  I  would 
do  so  unhesitatingly.   He  acceded,  so  I  had  the 

101 


next  choice,  although  this  first  lot  was 
really  worth  10%  more  than  any  goods  I  could 
select.  We  went  on  in  that  way,  he  always 
choosing  the  bulky  goods,  like  groceries,  hard- 
ware, wooden-  and  willow-ware,  and  I  taking 
merchandise  I  could  dispose  of  in  my  store. 

At  last,  each  one  had  received  the  double 
value  invested,  and  still  there  were  goods  to 
divide.  Then  I  began  selecting  my  next  $200 
portion  from  the  balance,  which  was  a  lot  of 
kid  gloves  worth  about  $2  per  dozen,  invoiced 
at  cost  about  $800.  Mr.  Hazelhurst  stopped 
me  when  I  had  appropriated  the  correct  num- 
ber to  make  my  $200.  His  was  the  next  chance 
in  order,  so  he  took  his  $200  worth  of  gloves. 
They  were  soiled  and  dried  out  and  next  to 
worthless.  Then  we  had  to  change  our  plan 
of  division,  as  we  were  getting  near  the  end. 
We  arranged  the  remainder  in  lots.  As  I  was 
a  merchant,  and  he  a  farmer,  I  was  to  say, 
"Give  or  take"  and  fix  the  price  for  each  lot. 
I  came  to  a  little  box  of  thread  laces,  at  that 
time  very  much  in  vogue.  This  looked  so  in- 
significant in  size,  compared  with  the  more 
bulky  goods,  that  I  put  the  value  at  $25.  "Give 
or  take?"  Mr.  Hazelhurst  responded  without 
hesitation,  "I  will  take  them,  as  I  know  you 
charged  my  wife  $1.00  a  yard  for  the  wide 

102 


and  25  cents  a  yard  for  the  narrow;  there  is 
enough  here  to  last  for  the  rest  of  her  life." 
While  they  were  cheap  at  $150,  I  had  to  keep 
mum,  although  taken  at  a  decided  disadvan- 
tage. I  then  took  down  from  the  shelf  about 
100  boxes  of  artificial  flowers,  which  cost  about 
$300,  but  not  worth  at  the  time  the  value  of 
the  boxes.  It  was  for  me  to  say  "Give  or 
take."  I  put  the  price  at  $75.  Mr.  Hazel- 
hurst,  a  thoroughly  bright  man,  a  successful 
farmer,  wide  awake  to  the  occasion,  answered 
me,  "You  take  them."  I  pretended  all  was 
satisfactory.  My  friend  Hazelhurst,  for  whom 
I  set  the  trap,  saw  Mr.  Payton,  from  whom 
we  bought  the  stock,  and  told  him  of  our  distri- 
bution. Mr.  Payton  told  him  I  was  decidedly 
the  loser ;  that  the  artificial  flowers  were  really 
of  no  account,  while  the  laces  were  really  worth 
more  than  my  estimate.  Hazelhurst  laughed 
to  think  that  I  had  been  beaten  by  an  old 
farmer,  and  enjoyed  the  cuteness  and  good 
sense  he  had  displayed. 

In  1849  I  went  with  mY  clerk,  Mr.  McCul- 
lough,  to  a  German  masked  ball.  He  was  a 
young  American,  blonde,  and  six  feet  tall.  As 
we  entered  the  room,  some  one  made  the  dis- 
courteous remark,  "What  business  have  you 
here,  we  do  not  want  Jews."    Mr.  McCul- 

103 


lough  thereupon  gave  the  person  a  severe 
thrashing.  After  this  unpleasant  scene  one 
high  in  position  advised  me  to  leave  and  return 
home,  offering  me  his  carriage,  as  he  knew  that 
trouble  was  brewing.  We  thought  it  prudent 
to  heed  his  warning  and  to  retire  from  the 
festivities.  I  had  no  idea  that  in  free  Amer- 
ica such  narrow-minded  prejudices  had  been 
imported  from  the  mother  country,  which  I 
had  been  glad  to  leave  on  this  very  account. 

The  next  day  the  offending  person  came  to 
my  store  and  threatened  to  sue  Mr.  McCul- 
lough.  The  latter  gave  him  distinctly  to  un- 
derstand that  nothing  would  please  him  better 
than  to  be  sued  in  such  a  cause,  for  that  would 
have  meant  ruin  to  the  prejudiced  German's 
business,  as  his  drug  store  was  right  in  the 
Jewish  quarter,  and  fully  half  his  patrons  and 
friends  were  of  the  Jewish  faith,  and  they 
would  certainly  have  found  him  out  most  effec- 
tually. 

That  same  year,  some  ladies  who  were  inter- 
ested in  a  charitable  purpose,  called  upon  me, 
requesting  a  donation  for  a  fair  they  proposed 
organizing.  I  had  already  contributed  money, 
but  besides  they  wanted  a  liberal  gift  of  some- 
thing upon  which  they  could  make  a  profit.  I 
entirely  approved  of  the  object,  a  most  worthy 

104 


one,  and  heartily  acceded  to  their  wishes.  I 
presented  them  with  a  patchwork  quilt  worth 
S50  with  this  proviso,,  that  they  would  not 
raffle  it  off  for  less  than  Si 00,  making  one  hun- 
dred chances  at  $1  each.  I  was  to  have  one 
chance  in  my  own  name,  one  for  my  mother, 
and  another  for  my  sister.  Shortly  after,  the 
committee  waited  upon  me  to  inform  me  that 
mine  was  the  lucky  number,  and  they  wanted 
me  to  sell  the  quilt  to  them.  I  repeated  my 
last  arrangement.  Again  I  was  favored  by 
a  visit.  This  time  they  desired  to  buy  my 
three  chances.  I  offered  them  my  chance  of 
$1,  but  was  unwilling  to  dispose  of  my  mother's 
and  sister's,  and  was  particularly  positive  in 
stating  that  if  I  won  the  quilt,  it  was  not  for 
sale.  They  then  acknowledged  that  I  was  again 
the  winner.  We  still  have  the  quilt  in  our 
house. 

What  nearly  ended  in  a  severe  catastrophe 
occurred  to  me  in  Cincinnati  while  situated  on 
Fifth  Street.  In  our  immediate  neighborhood, 
a  few  doors  east  of  Race  Street,  on  the  north 
side,  there  was  a  firework  factory,  which,  in 
some  manner  took  fire,  causing  a  terrible  ex- 
plosion. One  of  their  employees,  who  had 
been  injured  by  the  accident,  was  brought  to 
my  store.    The  poor  fellow  had  been  nearly 

105 


burned  to  death  and  had  jumped  from  the 
ruined  structure.  We  brought  down  some 
bedding,  hoping  to  relieve  the  injured  man, 
and  make  his  last  moments  more  comfortable, 
having  already  sent  for  a  doctor  and  oil.  A 
physician  who  happened  to  be  passing,  was  ad- 
mitted, but  his  services  were  not  needed,  as 
orders  had  been  given  to  remove  the  patient' 
who  died  on  his  way  to  the  hospital.  A  report 
was  circulated  to  the  effect  that  a  magazine  of 
500  pounds  of  gunpowder  still  remained  in  the 
building,  which  might  ignite  at  any  moment, 
and  bring  devastation  to  all  in  its  vicinity.  I 
at  once  closed  my  store,  and  engaged  the  serv- 
ices of  some  of  my  friends  to  remove  a  portion 
of  the  more  valuable  goods  to  the  market  house 
opposite;  meanwhile,  I  ran  upstairs  after  dear 
mother,  who  was  always  my  care  and  who  was 
living  over  the  store.  I  found  her  greatly  ex- 
cited, running  to  and  fro  trying  to  save 
something.  With  this  intent,  she  had  se- 
cured her  lace  cap,  which  I  suppose  was  worth 
about  a  dollar,  and  was  holding  it  firmly 
grasped  in  her  hand  as  I  carried  her  down- 
stairs. Fortunately,  however,  the  reserve 
stock  of  powder,  stored  in  the  factory,  did  not 
explode,  or  the  whole  block  could  hardly  have 
escaped  having  been  blown  up  and  utterly  de- 

106 


stroyed.  Though  some  of  my  goods  were 
damaged,  and  others  stolen  through  this  en- 
forced and  sudden  removal  to  a  supposed  place 
of  safety,  the  company  in  which  I  was  insured 
declined  to  recompense  me,  as  there  had  not 
actually  been  a  fire  upon  my  premises. 

One  day,  while  standing  in  front  of  my  store, 
I  observed  a  young  lady  passing  out  and  I 
heard  her  rebuke  one  of  my  clerks,  remarking 
"You  had  better  keep  your  French  meshoves 
yourself."  Inquiring  into  the  cause  of  offense, 
I  learned  that  one  of  my  salesmen,  after  wait- 
ing upon  her  most  attentively  for  a  long  time 
had  failed  to  make  a*  sale,  and,  as  she  was  leav- 
ing, Cranny,  another  salesman,  asked  if  he 
could  not  show  her  some  new  French  meshoves 
which  had  just  arrived.  She  understood  what 
he  meant  perfectly  well.  I  cautioned  Cranny 
that  a  repetition  of  such  conduct  would  result 
in  a  loss  of  his  position. 

Although  I  had  withdrawn  from  ladies'  so- 
ciety, unconsciously  I  had  learned  to  respect 
and  honor  above  all  others,  the  one  whom  I 
afterwards  loved  and  married  for  the  many 
virtues  she  possessed.  Although  we  were 
neighbors,  I  had  given  so  little  expression  to 
my  real  sentiments,  that  when  I  asked  her  for 
her  hand,  she  was  much  astonished,  and  so 

107 


were  my  dear  parents,  and  her  brother  and 
uncle.  I,  however,  objected  to  the  attentions 
of  her  brother  to  my  sister. 

One  morning,  dear  mother  came  to  me  quite 
annoyed,  complaining  that  dear  father  had 
learned  that  brother  Henry  was  engaged  and 
he  would  not  tell  her  to  whom.  This  proved 
to  be  only  a  conjecture.  To  enable  her  also  to 
have  a  secret,  I  informed  her  under  promise 
of  keeping  the  intelligence  entirely  confidential, 
that  I  was  engaged  to  Miss  Hackes.  No  doubt 
she  meant  to  keep  her  promise,  but  she  could 
hardly  wait  to  see  dear  father,  and  was  quite 
unhappy  until  she  could  communicate  the  good 
news,  and  enjoy  it  with  him.  My  parents 
never  regretted  my  marriage,  for  they  gained 
a  lovely  daughter,  and  her  goodness  was  always 
appreciated  and  reciprocated  by  them.  By 
her  lovely  disposition  she  has  strengthened  the 
affection  and  harmony  that  has  ever  existed 
in  the  Stix  family,  and  I  know  of  no  household 
as  large  as  ours,  where  there  has  never  been 
a  misunderstanding  among  the  many  additions 
to  it  by  marriage  and  by  birth.  May  our  chil- 
dren ever  follow  the  example  of  which  we  are 
proud  and  justly  so.  Soon  after  our  engage- 
ment, Miss  Hackes  moved  with  her  folks  to 
Western  Row,  at  present  called  Central  Av- 

108 


enue,  between  5th  and  6th  Streets.  I  visited 
her  nearly  daily,  after  my  store  was  closed, 
which  was  never  before  ten  o'clock,  and  at  the 
latest  left  her  house  about  midnight.  Just  at 
this  time  she  felt  her  loss  of  a  loving  father 
most  keenly,  as  she  had  waited  on  him  through 
a  long  and  lingering  sickness.  From  the  date 
of  our  betrothal,  September  1850,  we  made 
many  plans  as  to  our  future.  We  each  deter- 
mined to  be  frugal.  On  the  nth  of  March, 
185 1,  we  were  married  in  the  Masonic  Hall 
at  corner  of  Third  and  Walnut  Streets.  The 
day  was  clear  and  bright,  as  beautiful  a  one 
as  we  could  desire.  The  wedding  was  a 
double  one:  Jacob  Krouse  and  myself  each 
paying  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  his  in- 
vitations. My  wife  on  her  way  to  the  cere- 
mony, as  she  passed  the  store,  by  special  ar- 
rangement, let  me  know  that  it  was  time  for 
me  to  close  the  store,  as  I  had  promised  my 
help  that  I  would  do  so  to  give  them  an  op- 
portunity to  go  to  my  wedding.  The  store  was 
more  crowded  than  ever — I  hardly  knew  what 
to  do.  I  finally  informed  the  customers  that 
they  could  take  such  goods  as  had  been 
bought  and  pay  for  them,  or  come  back  to- 
morrow, as  all  my  help  had  been  invited  to 
see  me  married  at  the  Hall.    Any  of  the 

109 


customers  who  wished  to  join  us  were  then 
invited  to  do  so.  My  dear  parents'  carriage 
was  waiting  for  me.  Every  one  who  cared 
to  attend,  marched  to  the  Hall,  and  many  con- 
sidered this  also  an  invitation  to  the  table. 
There  was  plenty  of  room,  and  I  asked  the  land- 
lord to  have  a  lot  of  fruit  and  particularly  a 
few  boxes  of  oranges  at  my  expense.  He 
refused  and  would  not  allow  me  to  do  it.  To 
punish  him  for  his  stubbornness  I  did  not  order 
a  drop  of  anything  to  drink,  although  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons  were  sitting  at  the  dinner 
table.  ...  I  gave  them  an  order  to  get  all 
the  drinks  and  cigars  at  the  bar  below  at  my 
expense,  the  same  standing  good  all  night, 
without  tickets.  Mr.  Krouse,  who  had  by  far 
the  fewer  guests  could  not  well  do  otherwise, 
so  our  wedding  was  the  first  temperance  wed- 
ding among  our  friends.  I  told  Mr.  Reitzen- 
berger  right  there  and  then,  that  should  I  have 
a  half  dozen  more  weddings,  never  would  I 
have  another  one  at  Reitzenberger's.  Never- 
theless many  of  my  lady  customers  who 
marched  to  the  Hall,  were  more  than  pleased 
to  see  the  ceremony  of  a  Jewish  wedding,  and 
thanked  me  cordially,  as  it  was  all  new  to  them. 
Subsequently,  I  received  a  valentine,  beauti- 
fully decorated,  with  two  doves  making  love  to 

no 


one  another.  It  was  a  most  dainty,  exquisite 
design,  and  as  usual,  anonymous.  I  after- 
wards learned,  that  a  young  Welsh  lady,  an 
heiress,  who  owned  more  than  twenty  houses 
and  stores  in  New  York  City  had  thus  favored 
me. 

Shortly  after  our  marriage  my  wife  and  I 
began  housekeeping  and  no  couple  was  ever 
more  happy  or  contented.  Nevertheless,  my 
appetite  to  which  I  have  previously  alluded, 
did  not  improve.  On  this  account,  we  often 
took  our  meals  with  my  dear  parents,  as  mother 
thought  in  their  company  I  would  eat  more; 
a  fancy  in  which  I  believe  she  might  have  been 
correct. 

While  this  arrangement  was  extremely  pleas- 
ant, my  wife,  who  was  only  too  willing  to  show 
how  great  a  slave  she  could  make  herself  in 
ministering  to  the  writer's  comfort,  would 
not  be  persuaded  to  remit  her  solicitude.  I  re- 
monstrated with  her,  but  without  any  good  re- 
sult, for,  in  her  overwhelming  desire  to  care 
for  me,  she  would  not  be  refused,  let  me  plead 
as  I  might. 

Just  here  let  me  say  that  I  am  about  to  enter 
into  the  details  of  an  occurrence  where,  I  must 
confess,  before  beginning  my  story,  I  was  en- 
tirely in  the  wrong;  but,  as  I  have  committed 

in 


myself  to  the  truthfulness  of  all  these  narra- 
tions, I  must,  as  ever,  be  candid  in  my  acknowl- 
edgments, even  though  they  should  prove  me 
to  have  been  both  hasty  and  inconsiderate. 

We  were  seated  at  the  table,  my  wife  and 
I,  beginning  our  breakfast.  She  had  boiled 
four  eggs,  the  usual  number,  and  the  first  one 
I  opened  appeared  stale,  which  destroyed  any 
further  appetite  I  might  have  had  for  eggs; 
at  least  for  the  time  being.  I  did  not  attempt 
a  second  one,  although  my  wife  opened  the 
second  one  for  me.  I  did  not  care  for  it  after 
my  recent  experience,  as  may  well  be  supposed, 
but  took  it  simply  to  please  her,  while  she  ate 
the  third  one.  This,  of  course,  left  but  one 
egg,  which  she  insisted  I  must  take.  This  I 
refused  to  do;  and  to  let  her  understand  that 
once  "No"  meant  "No"  decidedly,  I  contin- 
ued to  resist  all  the  eloquence  and  persuasion 
which  she  brought  to  bear  to  compel  my  acqui- 
escence. Our  controversy  finally  reached  a 
point  where,  losing  my  temper,  I  flung  the  egg 
out  of  an  open  window  which  faced  my  seat 
and  was  temptingly  near.  While  my  wife  did 
not  utter  a  word,  her  face  spoke  volumes.  I 
admit  there  was  no  excuse  for  my  acting  so 
hastily;  but  it  was  not  without  some  good  ef- 
fect, and  from  that  day  to  this,  I  have  never 

112 


been  urged  to  give  up  my  views  for  her  ideas, 
nor  have  I  ever  had  occasion  to  let  my  temper 
get  beyond  my  control;  at  least  so  far  as  the 
egg  question  is  concerned.  To  prevent  any 
similar  occurrence,  we  buy  only  eggs  whose 
origin  is  thoroughly  known,  and  whose  purity 
can  be  warranted,  and  usually  pay  double  price, 
since  we  have  learned  the  difference. 

My  efforts  to  adopt  a  homeless  colored  boy 
from  the  streets  taught  me  another  lesson  early 
in  our  married  life.  I  hoped  to  give  him  a 
chance  to  make  a  useful  man  of  himself  in  the 
world.  He  received  a  thorough  cleaning,  and 
a  new  suit  of  clothes  with  which  to  begin  life 
anew.  But  evidently  he  did  not  appreciate  his 
present  or  prospective  advantages,  for  he  was 
no  sooner  made  presentable  than  he  ran  away, 
and  I  never  caught  a  glimpse  of  him  again. 

My  experience  in  this  instance  did  not  deter 
me  from  another  effort  to  help  an  orphan  boy, 
a  nephew  of  my  partner.  When  he  grew  up, 
I  advanced  him  $1,600,  taking  his  notes  for 
the  amount.  Although  the  firm  with  which 
he  was  connected  failed,  I  claimed  from  the 
concern  my  debt,  and  the  partner,  Mr.  Moses 
Heins,  settled  with  me  at  50  cents  on  the  dollar. 
My  attorney  assured  me  that  I  had  no  legal 
claim,  yet  complimented  me  upon  being  a  good 

113 


lawyer  when  my  own  interest  was  concerned. 
The  same  young  man,  who  had  ever  since 
avoided  me,  I  helped  again,  and  I  feel  that  I 
have  been  fortunate  in  escaping  as  well  as  I 
did.  His  notes,  which  I  still  hold,  are  out- 
lawed, and  I  make  no  attempt  to  collect  them, 
but  regard  him  as  unworthy  of  confidence,  al- 
though an  industrious  person. 

In  185 1,  the  first  year  of  our  marriage,  I 
concluded  to  make  a  journey  to  the  East.  I 
called  upon  Mr.  Peabody,  the  partner  of  my 
friend,  John  W.  Ellis,  to  furnish  me  with  a  let- 
ter of  introduction  to  some  eastern  houses. 
Mr.  John  W.  Ellis  himself,  from  whom  I  had 
purchased  the  greater  quantity  of  my  goods 
since  the  period  of  my  dissolution  or  failure 
with  Mr.  Wallach,  was  at  this  time  in  the 
East.  I  had  abundant  money  to  pay  cash,  if 
needful,  for  all  I  intended  to  buy.  I  had  about 
$12,000  of  Mr.  J.  L.  Swarts'  money,  which 
I  had  been  authorized  to  use  at  my  option,  un- 
der the  agreement  existing  between  us.  To 
my  utter  astonishment,  however,  Mr.  Peabody 
not  only  refused  me  a  letter  of  introduction, 
but  demanded  that  if  I  left  for  the  East  I 
should  settle  my  account  with  their  firm  for 
money  I  owed  them,  or  which  he  claimed  to  be 
due.    He  even  threatened  that  they  would  re- 

114 


fuse  to  sell  me  any  more  goods,  except  for  cash. 
I  endeavored  to  explain  my  position  to  Mr. 
Peabody,  but  without  success.  As  may  easily 
be  supposed,  I  felt  keenly  mortified.  Indeed, 
nothing  had  occurred  since  my  dissolution  with 
my  former  partner,  which  had  so  deeply  moved 
me.  I  was  unwilling  at  first  to  believe  that  my 
friend,  Mr.  Ellis,  could  have  so  mistrusted  me, 
and,  having  paid  all  that  I  owed  to  this  house 
which,  by  the  way,  was  a  very  moderate 
amount,  I  felt  anxious  to  meet  Mr.  Ellis  per- 
sonally, to  learn  from  his  own  lips  whether  he 
approved  of  his  partner's  action. 

It  so  happened  that  upon  the  very  day  of 
my  arrival  in  Philadelphia  I  met  Mr.  Ellis 
at  the  business  establishment  of  Wall  &  Lea- 
man,  then  acting  as  agents  for  the  great  Fall 
River  Mills.  He  welcomed  me,  as  he  always 
did,  in  the  most  pleasant  and  gentlemanly  man- 
ner, and  at  once  introduced  me  to  the  firm.  I 
begged  him  to  accord  me  an  interview,  and 
allow  me  to  speak  with  him  in  private,  to  which 
he  cheerfully  acquiesced.  I  acquainted  him 
with  my  experience  with  his  partner,  and  his 
ungracious  behavior  toward  me.  Mr.  Ellis 
begged  me  to  bear  no  ill-will  to  Mr.  Peabody, 
for  his  offense  was  one  of  ignorance,  as  he 
knew  no  better.    To  convince  me  of  the  entire 

US 


sincerity  of  his  disapproval  of  Mr.  Peabody's 
conduct,  he  immediately  recommended  me  to 
Messrs.  Wall  &  Leaman,  telling  them  to  sell 
me  all  the  goods  I  wanted,  and  to  recommend 
me  to  any  of  their  mercantile  correspondents 
as  a  perfectly  reliable  customer;  saying  that 
no  one  was  better  entitled  to  credit  than  myself, 
and  that  I  was  good  for  any  amount  I  saw  fit 
to  buy,  and  that  he  would  hold  himself  responsi- 
ble for  any  amount  of  indebtedness  I  might  in- 
cur to  their  firm,  or  to  those  I  might  be  intro- 
duced to  through  their  good  offices.  I  could 
not  have  done  more  for  my  best  friend.  It  is 
needless  to  state  that  I  was  delighted  with  my 
friend  Mr.  Ellis'  prompt  endorsement,  coupled 
with  his  entire  repudiation  of  his  partner's  ill- 
advised  proceeding. 

It  is  curious  that  this  very  occurrence  helped 
to  bring  about  an  early  dissolution  of  the  busi- 
ness association  between  Ellis  &  Peabody.  In 
less  than  five  years  time,  this  same  Mr.  Pea- 
body  called  upon  me  with  samples  of  goods 
which  he  was  peddling  from  house  to  house. 
I  felt  pity  for  him  in  place  of  bearing  him  a 
grudge — the  overbearing,  stupid  aristocrat  was 
downcast  and  discouraged.  In  place  of  show- 
ing him  the  door,  I  treated  him  respectfully, 
and  patronized  him  out  of  a  principle  which  I 

116 


have  observed  all  my  life — to  patronize  people 
who  have  followed  drumming  or  peddling  as 
a  means  of  livelihood.  I  always  remembered 
how  beautifully  the  American  people  had 
treated  me  when  I  was  peddling,  and  was  but 
a  stranger  amongst  them. 

It  was  on  this  trip  East  too,  that  I  was  de- 
layed by  a  snow  storm  in  New  York  and  was 
too  late  for  the  train.  My  coach  could  not 
reach  the  depot  in  time  (then  about  Chambers 
Street  and  West  Broadway).  Having  two 
heavy  trunks  with  me,  I  left  them  with  the 
business  house  of  A.  Journey,  Junior  &  Co., 
near  the  station.  Their  stock  was  out  of  sea- 
son and  they  were  about  quitting  business.  I 
was  able  to  secure  all  their  goods,  amounting 
to  about  $12,000  worth,  at  50  cents  on  the  dol- 
lar, which  paid  me  better  than  all  my  regular 
purchases. 

I  made  it  a  custom  from  the  time  I  was  able 
to  do  so,  to  buy  goods  out  of  season,  and  when- 
ever my  competitors  were  asked  for  such  arti- 
cles, they  invariably  directed  the  person  to  me, 
stating  that  if  they  could  not  find  what  they 
were  in  search  of  at  L.  Stix  &  Co.'s,  it  was  use- 
less to  look  elsewhere.  Although  this  plan 
was  an  excellent  one  at  that  time,  it  would  not 
be  so  desirable  now. 

117 


On  this  same  trip  I  attended  a  sale  of  Ger- 
man show  patterns,  imitation  of  embroidery. 
I  bid  $1.10  per  dozen,  as  they  seemed  cheap  to 
me,  and  I  had  no  real  idea  of  their  value.  A 
number  of  basket  pedlers  who  dealt  with  us, 
sold  goods  of  this  kind,  so  with  the  idea  of  sup- 
plying them,  I  bought  about  300  dozen  at 
$1.10  per  dozen.  As  I  passed  out  of  the  auction 
rooms,  a  young  man,  a  Mr.  Mass,  followed  me 
and  offered  to  sell  me  the  same  goods  at  the  rate 
of  90  cents.  I  took  his  name  and  address  and 
made  up  my  mind  that  even  that  was  not  as 
low  as  they  could  be  bought.  On  my  return 
home,  I  learned  that  the  peddling  trade  was 
paying  $1.00  per  dozen  for  them.  I  reduced 
my  price  to  90  cents  and  sold  them  out  in  a  day. 
When  next  I  visited  New  York,  I  called  on  Mr. 
Mass  and  purchased  five  cases  of  him  at  62^/2 
cents  per  dozen.  We  still  sold  them  at  90 
cents.  Many  five  case  lots  I  afterwards  sold 
at  75  cents  per  dozen:  I  believe  at  least  100 
cases ;  and  the  lot  price,  brought  us  many  tran- 
sient customers  besides.  Although  I  had  to 
pay  sometimes  for  experience,  it  paid  me  in 
the  end. 

I  arranged  to  start  on  a  tour  with  brother 
Henry  to  collect  money  due  me  in  my  business 
this  same  year.    When  the  day  came,  I  was 

118 


not  feeling  well  and  brother  Henry  was  unwill- 
ing to  delay  the  journey,  as  he  would  gain  an 
advantage  by  being  on  time,  for  most  of  the 
merchants  when  they  owed  one,  usually  owed 
others,  and  the  first  come  was  more  apt  to  re- 
ceive his  money  than  those  who  came  later. 

When  I  learned  that  he  had  gone  without 
me,  I  started  the  next  day  and  hired  a  sulky 
to  overtake  him.  It  was  snowing  hard  and 
was  a  very  cold,  stormy,  boisterous  day.  I  was 
so  much  muffled  up  with  heavy  clothes  and 
thick  fur  gloves  that  I  was  unable  to  drive  my 
horse  successfully.  I  upset  right  in  the  city, 
and  as  I  could  not  manage  the  lines  with  my 
bulky  gloves,  my  leg  was  caught  between  the 
spokes ;  the  horse  moved  on,  and  as  my  legs 
prevented  the  spokes  from  turning,  the  sulky 
was  drawn  along  like  a  sled  for  quite  a  distance. 
I  finally  managed  to  stop  the  horse  and  work 
loose,  and  then,  after  driving  back  to  the  stable, 
returned  home  and  was  not  able  to  go  to  busi- 
ness for  several  days.  The  truth  was,  I  was 
not  well  when  I  started,  and  my  shin  bone  was 
quite  severely  hurt  by  the  accident. 

My  brother-in-law,  Mr.  A.  S.  Herman, 
whose  friends  were  mostly  jobbers  in  dry 
goods,  introduced  me,  when  I  arrived  in  Xew 
York,  to  many  good  houses,  so  that  I  had  no 

119 


difficulty  in  getting  all  the  credit  I  wanted  from 
them.  In  one  or  two  auction  houses  he  en- 
dorsed for  me,  as  they  claimed  it  was  custom- 
ary to  require  this  in  dealing  with  persons  from 
out  of  town.  Mr.  Bergman,  a  partner  of  Wald, 
Hackes  &  Bergman,  also  introduced  me  to  some 
of  the  largest  importing  houses :  Gihan  &  Co., 
Stewart  &  Bros.,  and  Butterfield.  Not  only 
were  they  anxious  to  sell  me  goods,  but  they 
recommended  me  to  other  houses.  One  time  I 
learned  of  a  large  linen  sale  at  Wilmerding  & 
Mounts.  I  went  to  establish  a  credit  there 
without  an  endorser.  While  I  gave  a  true 
statement  of  my  affairs,  they  refused  me,  on 
the  plea  that  others  in  the  same  business  would 
be  displeased  if  they  sold  to  a  retailer.  When 
Mr.  Bergman  heard  from  me  in  regard  to  the 
affair,  we  went  to  see  Mr.  Gihan,  whose  goods 
were  to  be  sold  at  auction,  and  a  letter  was 
given  to  me,  stating  that  I  might  buy  any  goods 
I  wished,  and  my  notes  would  be  taken  in  pay- 
ment, without  endorsement,  for  amounts  with- 
out limitation.  As  this  was  the  largest  house 
in  this  line  of  trade,  I  had  no  more  incon- 
venience, as  other  firms  were  willing  to  do  the 
same,  when  I  asked  them  to  open  an  account. 

Mr.  A.  S.  Herman,  too,  showed  me  some  lots 
of  linen  handkerchiefs,  bought  in  his  name  at 

1 20 


from  75  to  95  cents  a  piece.  They  were  put  up 
in  blue  papers,  just  as  I  had  been  buying  them 
at  so  much  a  dozen.  He  told  me  the  price  for 
a  single  one,  and  I  thought  he  meant  that  price 
for  a  dozen,  and  considered  them  very  cheap. 
I  advised  Herman  to  take  them  all  and  agreed 
to  pay  them  10%  profit.  He  returned  home 
much  pleased  with  the  liberal  offer  I  had  made, 
and  remarked  that  he  would  make  $100  on  the 
transaction.  Thereupon  I  told  him  that  the 
whole  purchase  would  not  amount  to  that  sum. 
So  Mr.  Herman  had  the  pleasure  of  exposing 
the  judgment  of  his  new  brother-in-law. 

I  received  too  an  introduction  from  one  of 
my  neighbors,  H.  M.  Duhme,  recommending 
me  to  the  house  of  Eno,  Mahoney  &  Co.,  in 
the  East,  a  firm  with  which  he  dealt  largely.  I 
found  that  they  carried  a  far  superior  stock  to 
that  of  any  house  from  which  I  had  bought 
previously.  Doubtful  of  their  willingness  to 
sell  me,  I  did  not  buy  one-half  the  goods  I  could 
have  used  to  advantage,  although  even  then 
they  found  my  bill  too  large  for  a  new  account. 
Besides,  the  prejudice  against  our  race  was  too 
deeply  rooted  to  be  overcome  by  any  letter  of 
endorsement  by  a  business  acquaintance.  As  I 
had  imagined,  the  day  after  my  purchase  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  of  refusal  from  them.    When  my 

121 


friend  Duhme  was  informed  that  the  house 
had  declined  to  deliver  my  goods,  he  generously 
offered  me  his  endorsement  for  any  amount  I 
might  wish  to  buy.  I  thanked  my  good 
neighbor  for  his  kind  and  liberal  treatment, 
and  perfect  confidence  in  my  honor.  I  had  the 
goods  shipped,  and  paid  cash  on  delivery. 
Some  years  after,  one  of  this  firm,  at  first  so 
doubtful  about  my  standing,  started  an  import- 
ing business,  and  sold  me  goods  for  any  amount 
I  wished,  exhibiting  the  same  spirit  of  faith  in 
me  as  my  friend  Duhme  had  shown  when  he 
first  introduced  me  to  the  firm. 

During  the  same  year,  I  had  quite  a  lively 
episode  with  a  Mr.  James  McCully,  an  Indiana 
merchant,  who  did  business  at  Liberty.  He 
was  very  far  behind  in  his  payments,  and  paid 
no  attention  whatever  to  our  requests  for  a  set- 
tlement. After  repeated  ineffectual  efforts  to 
have  him  come  to  some  honest,  satisfactory  un- 
derstanding, I  finally  decided  to  see  him  per- 
sonally. I  also  took  the  claim  of  Stix,  Krouse 
&  Co.  with  me,  and  found  that  McCully  was  on 
the  verge  of  failure.  He  tried  to  put  me  off 
by  promises  which  he  never  intended  to  keep, 
and  only  made  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  a 
delay,  the  better  to  arrange  for  his  anticipated 
financial  difficulties,  and  gain  whatever  advan- 

122 


tage  was  possible.  I  consulted  my  friend,  a 
lawyer,  named  Mr.  Yearyon,  as  to  the  best 
course  to  adopt  to  prevent  this  swindle,  and  he 
advised  me  to  take  whatever  I  could  manage  to 
secure,  as  he  expected  any  day  to  get  a  judg- 
ment against  him  for  an  eastern  creditor,  and 
he  did  not  believe  he  would  succeed  in  collecting 
over  half  the  amount  which  was  due.  Return- 
ing to  McCully,  I  found  that  the  best  arrange- 
ment I  could  succeed  in  making,  even  after 
threatening  him,  was  50  cents  on  the  dollar, 
payable  in  goods.  I  was  forced  to  accept  this 
proposition ;  but  the  prices  he  charged  were  out- 
rageous, and  seeing  no  redress  by  any  fair  or 
honorable  adjustment,  I  determined  to  set  a 
trap  for  him. 

I  offered  him  a  big  price  to  take  me  to  Ox- 
ford in  time  to  catch  the  stage  for  my  return 
home.  In  the  haste  of  our  departure,  he 
hitched  up  his  team  and  threw  the  goods  into 
the  wagon  without  requiring  the  receipt.  He 
took  his  jewelry  box  with  him,  expecting  to 
trade  watches  on  the  way.  When  we  arrived 
at  Oxford,  Ohio,  he  put  his  horses  in  the  stable, 
and  I  called  on  Squire  Sertain  to  make  out  an 
attachment  that  my  attorney,  Smith,  had  fur- 
nished. The  constable,  who  was  my  friend, 
only  awaited  my  word  to  do  his  duty.    I  called 

123 


Mr.  McCully  into  the  parlor  and  informed  him 
as  he  was  now  out  of  his  state,  I  would  have 
an  attachment  in  the  hands  of  the  officer  served 
at  once  upon  him  if  he  did  not  pay  me.  He 
was  forced  into  compliance,  as  he  found  him- 
self in  the  same  predicament  in  which  he  had 
placed  me  but  a  short  time  before,  when  I  was 
in  his  state  and  at  his  mercy.  I  agreed  to  al- 
low him  a  reasonable  time  to  redeem  his  prop- 
erty without  any  expenses  attached,  and  fur- 
nish him  with  enough  money  to  hire  a  con- 
veyance to  return  to  his  home.  He  never  re- 
deemed his  pledge  and  threatened  to  shoot  me 
if  I  ever  told  how  he  had  been  trapped  and  cir- 
cumvented,— while  in  Indiana,  he  had  me  at 
his  mercy,  but  in  Ohio,  I  was  master  of  the 
situation.  I  have  never  been  a  good  collector, 
and  have  often  felt  hurt  when  people  tried  to 
rob  me  deliberately,  but  in  this  instance  I  made 
quite  a  success. 

McCully  failed  shortly  after  this  experience, 
and  not  many  weeks  following,  again  bought 
goods  of  our  house  for  cash. 

The  same  year  an  auctioneer  and  business  ac- 
quaintance called  on  me  for  a  loan  of  a  consid- 
erable amount  as  some  underwriter  had  prom- 
ised him  a  large  consignment  of  wet  goods  if 
he  could  make  certain  advances.    They  had 

124 


been  sunk  in  the  Ohio  River,  and  consisted  of 
laces,  embroideries  and  wide  sheetings  which 
were  to  be  sold  at  auction  for  whatever  they 
could  bring.  I  lent  the  party  the  amount  re- 
quired and  my  neighbor,  Mr.  Shawl,  joined 
with  me  in  purchasing  nearly  the  entire  stock. 
Each  bought  in  his  own  name  to  show  some  ap- 
parent opposition,  for  fear  the  owner  might 
postpone  the  sale  which  amounted  to  several 
thousand  dollars.  On  our  way  home  after 
the  sale,  I  was  very  enthusiastic  about  our  pur- 
chases. Mr.  Shawl  made  the  remark  that  he 
never  liked  wet  goods  and  if  I  would  give  him 
$100  he  would  let  me  have  all  of  his.  I  ac- 
ceded to  his  proposition,  moved  my  regular 
stock  upstairs,  and  sold  only  wet  and  dam- 
aged goods,  with  such  success,  that  when  the 
entire  stock  was  about  disposed  of,  I  then  sold 
my  own  in  the  same  manner,  by  making  liberal 
use  of  the  hydrant  to  accommodate  many  of  our 
customers  who  felt  slighted  because  they  had 
received  no  special  notification  of  the  sale.  My 
capital  which  may  have  been  about  $5,000  was 
about  doubled  at  the  end  of  this  venture.  From 
this  time  on  I  had  smooth  sailing,  excepting  in 
the  year  1854,  the  first  year  after  we  moved  to 
Main  Street,  when  we  did  a  jobbing  business 
exclusively.    Nearly  every  retail  house  in  the 

125' 


city  failed.  We  lost  nearly  all  we  had,  but 
after  six  months  we  made  good  our  losses,  and 
by  the  close  of  the  year  held  our  own  after 
deducting  living  expenses.  The  great  secret 
of  success  was  to  do  as  much  of  your  own  work 
as  possible,  and  never  to  infringe  upon  your 
capital.  I  have  always  been  of  a  speculative 
turn  of  mind,  yet  liberal  from  the  time  I  could 
afford  to  be  so,  after  establishing  a  good  firm 
foundation. 

While  purchasing  my  merchandise,  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  I  was  not  buying  it  of 
the  best  houses.  I  called  upon  the  firm  of  Will- 
iam Lattimer  &  Co.,  the  largest  white  goods 
dealers  at  that  time  supplying  smaller  job- 
bing houses.  Mr.  Lattimer  met  me  at  the  door 
and  invited  me  into  his  private  office.  After 
taking  down  my  statement,  he  remarked  that 
if  my  references  were  such  as  he  fully  believed 
them  to  be,  and  could  be  verified  upon  examina- 
tion, he  would  sell  me  to  the  extent  of  $5,000 
and  I  had  better  make  my  selections  at  once. 
I  felt  satisfied  that  I  had  struck  the  proper 
party,  and  having  now  an  opening  wedge  in 
the  right  direction,  that  I  would  have  no 
trouble  in  the  near  future  in  obtaining  all  the 
credit  I  might  require.  Mr.  Lattimer,  who 
waited  upon  me,  noticed  that  I  did  not  reach 

126 


anything  like  the  amount  of  my  orders  on  my 
book,  though  I  bought  largely  of  all  lines  I  saw 
fit  to  select.  He  asked  me,  "Why  do  you  not 
take  this  or  that?"  referring  to  certain  goods 
he  recommended,  whereupon  I  observed,  "My 
limit  will  be  exhausted  if  I  do  so."  Neverthe- 
less he  kept  on  increasing  his  credit,  until  when 
our  transactions  were  finished,  I  found  my  in- 
debtedness to  him  was  much  nearer  $10,000 
than  the  $5,000  credit  originally  extended. 

Upon  taking  leave,  I  gave  orders  to  ship  the 
goods  I  had  selected,  if  my  references  proved 
satisfactory,  and  send  the  bill  to  my  office.  It 
was  promised  for  the  next  day,  but  it  did  not 
come  to  hand.  Finding  it  still  missing,  I  made 
it  my  business  to  pass  the  store  the  day  follow- 
ing two  or  more  times.  At  last  Mr.  Lattimer 
observed  me  and  called  me  in.  He  inquired  if 
I  had  received  my  bill.  I  replied  that  it  had  not 
yet  reached  me.  He  asked  the  boy  why  it  had 
not  been  delivered  in  accordance  with  his  direc- 
tions. The  boy  replied  that  he  had  just  re- 
turned from  attending  to  it.  Mr.  Lattimer 
advised  me  that  my  goods  had  been  shipped  the 
day  before,  as  he  had  promised.  He  then 
urged  me  to  buy  all  I  could  use,  raising  his 
limit  to  $15,000,  which  I  did.  Inside  of  thirty 
days  I  discounted  my  indebtedness  to  him  by 

127 


sending  him  a  check  for  the  full  amount  of  my 
purchases.  His  answer  made  a  life-long  im- 
pression upon  me.  "Your  check  came  duly  to 
hand.  I  have  deposited  it  for  your  account  in 
my  name  in  bank, — while  I  do  know  that  Wil- 
liam Lattimer  is  good,  I  do  not  propose  to 
endorse  the  credit  of  any  bank.  You  can 
therefore  draw  upon  me  for  the  full  amount, 
as  we  are  not  in  want  of  any  money,  while  it 
may  be  a  great  accommodation  to  others  who 
would  be  glad  to  receive  it."  In  reply,  I 
begged  him  to  keep  the  money,  as  I  should  feel 
a  delicacy  in  increasing  my  margin  or  incur- 
ring further  indebtedness  without  settling  the 
old  account.  He  saw  that  I  was  right  and  ac- 
cepted the  money.  From  that  day  my  credit 
was  practically  limitless,  either  for  goods  or 
cash,  and  I  occasionally  made  use  of  it. 

After  my  removal  to  New  York,  and  estab- 
lishment in  business  as  a  buyer  in  that  city,  I 
had  no  warmer  or  truer  friend  than  William 
Lattimer.  His  liberality  was  in  every  way  ap- 
preciated and  reciprocated  by  the  writer.  Mr. 
Lattimer  was  a  self-made  man,  untrammeled 
by  prejudice,  liberal  in  all  his  dealings,  and 
broad  and  sensible  in  interpreting  the  religious 
belief  of  others.  I  at  one  time  'chanced  to 
meet  one  of  our  people  at  the  gate  of  the  tem- 

128 


pie.  He  remarked,  "I  cannot  pray  as  I  have 
not  settled  my  account  with  my  friend  Latti- 
mer,  to  whom  I  owe  more  than  I  shall  ever  be 
able  to  pay."  I  informed  Mr.  Lattimer  of  this 
conversation.  He  sent  for  the  man  and  told 
him  he  would  consent  to  any  equitable  proposi- 
tion which  should  be  considered  mutually  sat- 
isfactory. This  was  certainly  very  fair,  and 
would  have  been  carried  out,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  rebellion  and  consequent  unsettlement 
of  all  business  calculations.  This  same  man 
finally  became  and  continued  very  successful 
and  paid  all  his  debts  in  full.  Incidents  in  my 
later  life  disclose  equally  pleasant  relations 
with  this  same  William  Lattimer. 

About  the  year  1851,  S warts  Bros,  had  sent 
me  twenty-four  thousand  dollars.  One-half 
this  sum  belonged  to  each  brother.  J.  L. 
Swarts  wrote  me  I  had  better  deposit  his 
brother  Isaac's  share  in  the  Ohio  Trust  Com- 
pany, while  the  other  $12,000  was  left  with  me, 
to  pay  at  my  discretion  such  interest  as  I  could 
afford.  I  used  my  brother-in-law's  money  in 
the  business.  Isaac's  money  I  lent  to  Wald, 
Hackes  &  Bergman,  who  paid  the  lowest  in- 
terest, ten  per  cent.  At  that  time,  paper  had 
been  discounted  outside  of  the  banks  at  about 
fifteen  per  cent.    While  I  had  never  written 

129 


what  I  had  done  with  Isaac's  money,  my 
brother-in-law  well  knew  that  I  had  not  de- 
posited it  in  that  bank,  which  afterwards  failed 
in  1857,  creating  one  of  the  greatest  panics  that 
this  country  had  ever  experienced. 

When  J.  L.  Swarts,  my  brother-in-law,  and 
later  my  partner,  decided  to  leave  for  Cincin- 
nati, he  wrote  me  that  I  should  be  prepared  to 
hand  over  Isaac's  money,  whereupon  I  replied, 
that  if  he  desired  me  to  do  so,  he  should  let  me 
know  at  once  upon  the  arrival  of  his  brother, 
and  I  would  meet  him  at  the  wharf,  bringing 
his  money  with  me,  as  I  would  have  no  dif- 
ficulty in  raising  so  unimportant  a  sum  as 
$12,000.  There  was  nothing  more  done  or 
said  until  Mr.  Isaac  Swarts  put  in  an  appear- 
ance. He  became  my  guest,  stopping  at  my 
residence,  and  I  immediately  asked  him  if  he 
was  ready  to  receive  his  money.  He  replied 
that  he  did  not  want  it,  and  that  he  wanted  me 
to  retain  it,  either  for  my  own  use,  or  lend  it  out, 
as  I  might  consider  most  advantageous ;  but  in 
such  a  manner  that  no  one  could  obtain  it  with- 
out my  endorsement,  which  trust  I  decided  to 
accept,  and  Wald,  Hackes  &  Bergman  took 
charge  of  the  loan,  a  procedure  which  rendered 
it  more  secure  than  if  it  had  been  deposited  in 

130 


the  bank.  Indeed  it  finally  turned  out  far  bet- 
ter than  Isaac  Swarts'  own  investments. 

A  Baltimore  house,  Mills,  Mahevv  &  Miller, 
were  the  assignees  of  a  jobbing  stock  belong- 
ing to  a  house  that  failed  in  Cincinnati  in  1852, 
by  the  name  of  Watson.  Mr.  Polk  was  em- 
ployed later  on  to  close  it  out.  This  gentleman 
was  afterwards  the  partner  of  Elis,  McCalbin 
&  Co.  While  the  price  asked  was  not  cheap, 
yet,  as  it  was  offered  to  me  on  15  or  18  months' 
credit,  I  bought  ten  thousand  dollars'  worth, 
giving  my  notes  for  the  amount.  In  a  very 
few  days  I  learned  of  a  panic  in  the  money 
market.  I  wrote  to  the  house  that  I  would  dis- 
count my  notes,  as  money  was  worth  2%  a 
month,  and  they  replied,  that  they  would  con- 
sider it  a  favor  if  I  anticipated  payment.  I 
made  the  transaction  quite  remunerative  by 
discharging  my  indebtedness  under  these  con- 
ditions. Mr.  Polk  claimed  he  was  the  cause  of 
a  very  profitable  transaction,  but  I  regret  that 
he  gave  up  his  chances  for  success  by  indulg- 
ing too  freely  in  drinking,  and  I  felt  sorry  for 
him  and  his  good  wife. 

I  had  the  habit  of  reading  sometimes  by 
candle  light,  and  on  one  occasion  I  fell  asleep 
in  my  Fifth  Street  store  while  thus  engaged, 

131 


and  a  fire  started  while  I  slept.  The  goods  on 
the  shelves  were  burning  when  I  awoke.  I 
threw  them  on  the  floor,  and  smothered  the 
blaze  by  throwing  other  goods  upon  them,  and 
stamping  out  the  fire.  My  loss  was  about  $50, 
but  I  made  no  claim  on  the  insurance  company. 

Sometime  later  I  caused  another  fire.  I 
went  to  a  ball  at  the  Almania  with  my  wife. 
I  was  interested  in  some  news,  so  excusing 
myself  to  my  wife,  I  went  to  the  reading  room, 
when,  lighting  my  cigar,  I  accidentally  ignited 
some  papers  on  a  file.  The  great  responsibility 
of  the  situation  pressed  upon  me  so  powerfully 
that  I  controlled  my  first  impulse  to  call  for 
help,  realizing  that  I  might  create  a  panic,  and 
endanger  the  lives  of  hundreds  by  so  doing;  so 
I  used  my  hands  and  put  out  the  fire.  My 
hands  were  so  badly  burned  as  a  result  of  this 
that  for  weeks  I  was  unable  to  use  them. 
While  I  suffered  intensely,  there  was  no  great 
damage  done  to  anything  in  the  apartment. 
It  was  a  matter  of  congratulation  to  me  that 
I  showed  such  pluck  and  self-control  in  the 
presence  of  danger.  Had  I  become  unduly  ex- 
cited, and  given  the  alarm,  a  panic  might  have 
occurred,  and  a  horrible  loss  of  life  might  have 
been  the  consequence. 

In  1852  my  business  was  quite  prosperous, 
132 


and  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  achieve  success 
in  commercial  enterprises.  Desiring  to  be  pro- 
gressive, I  concluded  to  keep  a  superior  line  of 
goods.  In  accordance  with  this  resolution, 
when  I  went  to  Xew  York  I  visited  A.  T. 
Stewart's  to  select  camel's-hair  shawls.  I 
selected  about  a  dozen  or  more,  worth  from 
three  to  five  hundred  dollars  each,  supposing 
all  the  time  I  was  purchasing  by  the  dozen ;  nor 
did  I  discover  my  error  until  the  bill  was  ren- 
dered the  following  day.  Fortunately  it  was 
accompanied  by  a  letter  informing  me  that  they 
were  only  able  to  let  me  have  a  part  of  my 
order  at  that  time.  This  gave  me  an  oppor- 
tunity to  get  out  of  my  difficulty  without  ex- 
posing my  ignorance.  I  refused  to  accept 
the  part  sent,  saying  it  must  be  all  or  none,  and 
thanked  my  stars  that  this  loop-hole  of  escape 
was  opened  for  me.  I  carefully  avoided,  in  all 
my  future  dealings,  shawls  of  that  quality  and 
value,  so  as  not  again  to  fall  into  a  similar  mis- 
take. Though  Jack-of-all-trades,  owing  to  the 
circumstances  in  which  I  have  been  placed 
through  life,  I  was  not  always  an  efficient 
judge  of  goods,  and  had  to  learn  much  by  ex- 
perience. I  did  not  pay  too  dearly  for  it,  as 
many  persons  are  obliged  to,  who  experiment 
without  knowledge.    This  was  a  matter  of 

133 


good  luck,  rather  than  good  management,  and 
I  congratulated  myself  on  the  result. 

A  speculation  of  mine  in  hardware  turned 
out  more  fortunately.  Shortly  after  my  pre- 
vious experience,  I  noticed  that  quite  an  exten- 
sive stock  of  goods  was  advertised  for  sale, 
chiefly  hardware  and  cutlery.  I  bought  the 
greater  portion,  including  pocket-knives,  traces 
and  other  chains.  I  had  had  no  experience  in 
articles  of  this  kind,  but  Mr.  Charles  Kiefer, 
who  patronized  me  whenever  he  could  do  so, 
happened  to  come  in  for  some  goods,  and  I 
showed  him  the  contents  of  my  cellar,  which 
was  filled  with  hundreds  of  kegs  of  nails  and 
wagon  loads  of  other  heavy  material.  He 
recognized  its  value,  and  although  I  asked  but 
a  small  profit  on  its  cost,  he  insisted  on  paying 
me  a  fair  price,  10%  on  my  investment;  among 
them  were  log  chains  worth  $1.50  to  $2.00  for 
which  I  paid  but  15  or  20  cents,  and  which 
would  have  been  cheap  at  three  times  the  sum. 
I  did  not  include  pocket-knives  in  my  sale. 
They  cost  me  from  50  cents  to  one  dollar  a 
dozen.  I  afterwards  disposed  of  some  of  them 
at  night  auction,  selling  them  at  from  25  cents 
to  50  cents  apiece,  and  had  still  about  100 
dozen  left  after  that,  a  sufficient  quantity  to 
supply  the  auctioneer  for  an  entire  season. 

134 


This  year  too,  it  was  claimed  that  father  had 
disposed  of  some  velvet  ribbon  as  silk  ribbon, 
whereas  the  surface  only  was  of  silk,  and  the 
back  was  of  cotton,  as  9-10  of  all  manufac- 
tured goods  at  that  time  were,  and  even  at  the 
present  day  are  apt  to  be.  Judge  Stallo 
promised  to  attend  to  the  case  when  it  came 
to  trial.  When  it  was  called,  neither  the  Judge 
nor  his  partner  nor  any  capable  person  in  his 
office  could  give  it  consideration,  so,  acting 
under  the  advice  of  my  counsel,  I  defended  it 
myself.  I  lost  the  case,  and  appealed  it  as  di- 
rected. 

I  learned  at  the  close  of  this  proceeding  that 
one  of  the-  witnesses  had  also  commenced  suit 
for  a  similar  cause.  I  let  him  get  judgment. 
Again  I  appealed,  and  after  that  I  heard  no 
more  in  reference  to  either  complaint.  I 
charged  father  a  box  of  cigars  as  my  fee,  the 
price  of  them  being  sixty  cents  a  hundred. 

About  this  time  father  rose  one  morning  and 
found  his  clothes  gone.  Some  one,  however, 
soon  found  them  in  the  alley  adjoining  the 
house.  Father  had  had  but  a  penny  in  his 
pocket,  and  so  escaped  any  serious  loss.  In- 
stead of  congratulating  himself  however,  he  re- 
marked to  dear  mother,  "  I  feel  very  badly 
about  this  affair,  for  the  thief  must  have  felt 

135 


disappointed  when  he  discovered  how  little 
there  was  to  steal,  and  he  has  no  doubt  cursed 
me  without  there  having  been  any  real  fault  or 
intention  against  him  on  my  part."  This  was 
showing  far  too  much  consideration  for  the 
thief,  who  came  prepared,  no  doubt,  to  enrich 
himself  with  the  honest  earnings  of  another. 


136 


IT  was  in  this  year  1852  also,  that,  while  I 
was  on  East,  buying  goods,  my  eldest  son 
Joseph  Stix  was  born.  My  people  telegraphed 
the  news  to  me  to  Xew  York,  but  I  had  already 
started  for  Philadelphia,  and  I  did  not  learn 
that  I  was  a  father,  until  I  reached  my  store 
eight  days  after  the  event,  my  return  having 
been  impeded  by  a  chapter  of  accidents. 

While  we  did  quite  a  good  business  in  our 
store  on  Fifth  Street,  in  1853  we  opened  an- 
other store  on  Main  Street  to  do  an  exclusive 
jobbing  business,  as  my  partner,  Mr.  Swarts, 
did  not  enjoy  waiting  on  the  feminine  sex. 
We  still  kept  an  interest  in  the  Fifth  Street 
store.  Our  young  partners  had  not  more  than 
1%  of  the  capital,  but  both  were  honest.  They 
did  not.  however,  know  how  to  make  it  a  suc- 
cess. The  business  commenced  to  run  down 
and  we  found  it  advisable  to  wind  it  up. 
When  we  opened  on  Main  Street,  we  con- 
sidered ourselves  worth  840,000,  but  in  less 
than  six  months  we  had  lost  the  greater  part 
of  our  capital.  Nearly  every  house  in  the  city 
failed,  and  honestly  so.    By  the  end  of  the  year, 

137 


however,  we  made  good  our  losses,  our  busi- 
ness and  private  expenses,  and  made  a  small 
amount  besides.  The  key  to  our  success  in  the 
midst  of  our  reverses  was,  that  we  did  all  the 
work  we  could  ourselves,  and  spent  as  little  as 
we  possibly  could  apart  from  the  real  neces- 
sities. 

Mr.  James  Sumpter,  a  merchant,  for  whom 
I  always  entertained  a  high  regard,  believing 
him  to  be  a  model  of  uprightness,  failed  in 
business,  owing  us  quite  a  large  amount.  I 
went  to  see  him,  but  his  actions  and  conversa- 
tion forced  me  to  change  my  opinion  of  his 
character.  I  could  get  no  satisfaction  or  en- 
couragement that  we  would  ever  be  able  to 
realize  a  cent  on  his  obligation.  While  I  was 
visiting  in  New  York,  he  called  on  my  house, 
proposing  to  make  a  compromise  with  his 
creditors,  but  said  he  would  do  nothing  until 
my  return  home.  He  was  informed  by  them 
when  I  was  expected  and  met  me.  I  looked 
for  very  little — ten  per  cent,  would  have  been 
satisfactory.  He  offered  ten  per  cent,  a  year 
with  the  first  five  payments  secured  by  John 
Miller,  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  who  was  per- 
fectly reliable,  and  the  other  five  payments  un- 
secured. I  went  around  with  him  and  all 
signed  with  the  understanding  that  each  should 

138 


be  treated  alike.  A  hardware  merchant,  Mr. 
Boot,  refused  to  compromise  unless  interest 
was  agreed  upon,  and  Mr.  Sumpter  was  obliged 
to  consent  to  this  requirement.  Next  we  met 
a  German  grocer,  who  would  not  agree  to 
settle  on  so  long  a  time,  so  I,  without  giving 
the  matter  much  consideration,  offered  to  buy 
his  notes  at  the  current  rate  for  money  which 
was  from  12%  to  24%  per  annum.  He  sold 
me  the  notes  and  told  his  bookkeeper  to  figure 
how  much  I  owed  him.  When  he  found  that 
instead  of  my  owing  him  he  would  owe  me  a 
considerable  amount,  he  came  to  the  store  to 
whip  me.  When  I  observed  my  unintentional 
error,  I  excused  my  ignorance  and  bought  his 
settlement  for  50  cents  cash.  The  first  five 
notes  were  paid,  the  remaining  notes  were  not 
paid.  After  many  years  Mr.  Sumpter  sold  me 
a  piece  of  land  in  Iowa  for  $10  an  acre  to 
pay  for  the  unpaid  notes,  intending  to  redeem 
it  when  he  paid  us.  We  considered  it  worth 
not  over  one-third  of  what  we  paid  for  it. 
When  a  man  came  around  and  offered  us  a 
rousing  price  for  this  land  we  sold  it  but  were 
soon  sued  for  double  the  amount  we  had  re- 
ceived. The  whole  affair  turned  out  to  be  a 
conspiracy  We  won  the  suit.  A  Mr.  Rose, 
from  Roseburg,  Indiana,  once  came  to  see  me 

139 


to  secure  a  settlement  in  this  matter,  and  I 
told  him  I  would  take  the  interest  and  give  him 
the  principal.  He  promised  to  return,  but 
never  did. 

At  about  this  time,  there  was  considerable 
inquiry  for  Irish  knit  socks.  This  demand 
was  partly  fictitious,  as  the  man  who  had  them 
for  sale  hired  people  to  ask  for  them,  and 
thereby  induced  merchants  to  believe  that  the 
goods  were  popular.  I  heard  of  a  Mr.  Mc- 
Guire,  who  was  selling  them  at  wholesale  at 
the  auction  house  of  Thomas  Johnson,  a  few 
doors  below  our  store,  and  I  went  there  to  buy 
a  case  of  about  100  dozen.  The  gentleman 
would  not  sell  me  less  than  500  to  600  dozen, 
except  at  a  much  higher  price,  which  I  did  not 
consider  a  desirable  investment.  The  larger 
quantity  was  more  than  I  wanted  to  purchase, 
so  I  would  not  buy,  although  I  considered 
the  price  at  which  they  were  offered  reason- 
able enough.  Then  Mr.  McGuire  deliberately 
planned  to  entrap  me.  A  cripple  came  to  our 
store  in  a  wagon,  pretending  to  be  a  merchant 
who  was  selling  goods  to  railroad  hands  at 
Liberty,  Indiana.  After  beating  me  down  to 
a  very  small  profit,  I  at  last  made  the  sale  of 
about  %  of  the  whole  lot  of  knit  socks  which  I 
had  been  offered,  but  had  not,  as  yet,  pur- 

140 


chased;  he  selecting  from  the  samples.  Mr. 
McGuire  assured  me  that  he  expected  to  leave 
that  evening  for  the  East  and  so  urged  me  to 
settle  at  once.  I  paid  one-half  cash  and  one- 
half  in  a  note,  and  the  goods  were  sent  to  the 
store.  My  partner  had  no  confidence  in  the 
cripple  whom  I  never  saw  again.  Mr.  Mc- 
Guire had  gone  and  no  one  knew  where.  I 
tried  for  several  days  to  find  out  how  this 
swindle  had  been  brought  about,  but  without 
success.  At  least  %  of  the  socks  were  moth- 
eaten,  and  though  they  sold  fairly  well  at  first, 
some  houses  returned  them  in  full,  and  others 
only  sent  back  those  which  were  damaged.  I 
had  the  socks  appraised  by  the  best  hosiery 
man  in  the  city,  and  the  appraisement  was  50 
cents  on  the  dollar. 

I  ascertained  at  Johnson's  auction  house, 
that  there  were  two  cases  at  the  depot  awaiting 
shipment  to  St.  Louis.  I  went  to  my  attor- 
ney, who  told  me  if  I  could  find  any  of  Mr. 
McGuire's  property,  I  could  attach  it  without 
security,  as  he  was  a  non-resident.  By  extra 
fees  I  persuaded  Johnson's  boy  and  the  dray- 
man to  go  for  these  two  cases.  While  the  cart- 
man  was  on  his  way  to  the  depot,  I  secured 
the  sheriff.  I  gave  him  the  papers  my  lawyer 
had  prepared  and  the  socks  thus  procured  were 

141 


attached  by  the  sheriff.  I  had  already  sold 
about  one-quarter  of  the  goods;  one-third  of 
them  had  been  returned  because  moth-eaten. 
From  that  day  we  separated  the  sound  from 
the  damaged  articles,  and  as  the  goods  were 
only  appraised  at  50  cents  on  the  dollar,  I  was 
willing  to  keep  them  at  that  price,  or  return 
what  were  left.  Some  weeks  after,  Mr.  Mc- 
Guire  heard  of  the  attachment  and  came  to 
Cincinnati  and  called  to  see  me.  He  found 
himself  caught  in  the  trap  he  had  so  skillfully 
prepared  for  me.  He  inquired  what  I  pro- 
posed doing  in  regard  to  the  matter.  I  told 
him  my  only  proposition  was,  either  to  keep  the 
goods  at  the  appraised  price  or  return  all  that 
were  left,  paying  him  the  appraised  valuation 
for  those  we  had  sold.  He  made  many  inef- 
fectual efforts  to  escape  from  the  coils  of  the 
net  he  had  himself  woven,  but  he  found  me 
absolutely  inflexible.  At  last  he  accepted  the 
second  alternative.  His  mean  scheme,  so 
adroitly  prepared,  turned  out  to  his  disadvan- 
tage and  to  our  advantage.  I  trust  he  may 
have  learned  from  this  little  experience  that 
"Honesty  is  the  best  policy."  I  have  dwelt  at 
length  on  this  episode,  because  of  the  gratifica- 
tion I  couldn't  help  enjoying  at  my  final  suc- 
cess and  his  discomfiture. 

142 


In  this  year,  1853,  I  bought  a  house  on  Race 
Street.  Mrs.  Hackes,  my  mother-in-law,  was 
very  fond  of  flowers,  and  as  I  had  no  ground 
about  our  residence,  it  being  all  built  up,  I 
made  a  garden  for  her  upon  the  roof,  and 
greatly  enjoyed  the  pleasure  she  experienced  in 
caring  for  it.  Although  these  quarters  were 
not  commodious,  yet  we  had  a  very  happy  life. 
My  family  would  have  been  better  pleased  with 
a  larger  establishment,  but,  with  the  idea  in 
view  of  recovering  from  the  unfortunate  fail- 
ure caused  by  my  partner,  I  had  determined 
to  be  extremely  frugal  and  saving.  In  speak- 
ing of  my  family,  it  does  not  include  my  wife 
and  children.  My  wife  deserves  great  credit 
for  her  admirable  management.  She  never 
murmured  or  appeared  dissatisfied  with  our 
plain  but  comfortable  style  of  living,  or  ex- 
pressed any  desire  to  occupy  a  more  elaborate 
dwelling.  In  fact,  it  was  not  until  some  of  our 
older  children  began  to  desire  a  change  more 
in  keeping  with  social  requirements,  that  we 
thought  of  moving.  Then  my  wife,  despite 
our  contentment,  consented  to  their  wishes,  and 
from  that  time  on  we  lived  on  a  more  elaborate 
scale. 

In  the  year  1854  I  attended  a  bankrupt  sale 
of  white  goods  and  embroideries.    One  hun- 

143 


dred  and  fifty  lots  of  collars  quite  in  vogue  at 
the  time,  about  12  dozen  in  a  lot,  were  offered 
for  sale,  one  lot  at  a  time  with  the  privilege  of 
ten  or  more.  I  bought  one  lot  with  nine  more 
for  35  cents.  We  had  paid  55  to  60  cents 
apiece  for  these  goods.  The  audience  had  ex- 
pected the  goods  to  go  very  cheaply,  because 
cash  was  required,  and  the  goods  that  of  an  in- 
solvent concern.  They  whistled  and  made  tu- 
multuous demonstrations,  expecting  to  frighten 
me,  and  keep  others  from  buying.  Instead  of 
stopping  me,  I  got  my  Irish  up,  and  bid  one 
cent  less  for  the  next  ten  lots.  A  Mr.  Lauer 
bought  the  next  ten  lots  for  y2  cent  less  than 
that.  I  then  bid  y2  cent  less  than  that.  Mr. 
Lauer  bought  about  30  lots  and  I  bought  all 
the  rest.  In  less  time  than  a  week,  by  order  of 
my  house,  I  offered  Mr.  Lauer  10%  profit  on 
the  goods  he  had  purchased,  while  Mr.  Lauer 
wrote  me  that  he  would  pay  me  15%  more  than 
I  gave.  The  goods  were  very  desirable,  and 
I  could  have  sold  thrice  the  quantity  at  a  good 
profit.    So  much  for  that  kind  of  whistling. 

Another  more  or  less  similar  incident,  while 
a  temporary  loss,  turned  out  as  an  excellent  in- 
vestment, because  from  the  time  of  its  occur- 
rence, my  word  which  had  always  been  good, 
was  never  doubted.    I  received  a  case  of 

144 


French  dress  goods  which  I  bought  at  auction 
for  60  cents.  While  I  considered  it  worth  one 
dollar,  I  offered  it  for  87^2  cents.  I  was  asked 
by  the  trade  to  tell  them  the  cost.  They  prom- 
ised not  to  ask  for  any  lower  price  whatever 
that  might  be.  I  would  not  tell  them  a  false- 
hood, and  after  giving  them  the  price  at  which 
I  bought  the  goods,  charged  them  only  75 
cents.  Next  day  I  wanted  about  five  pieces  for 
a  customer,  and,  as  an  accommodation,  they 
sold  it  to  me  for  $1.05  instead  of  $1.10  which 
was  the  lowest  price  they  were  charging. 

On  another  occasion,  while  waiting  in  an 
auction  house  in  New  York  City,  the  auc- 
tioneer was  trying  to  get  a  bid  for  fifteen  or 
twenty  pieces  of  Sea  Grass  running  about  thirty 
yards  in  a  piece,  about  eighteen  or  twenty 
inches  wide.  As  no  one  seemed  to  want  it,  he 
exclaimed,  "Will  any  one  bid  one  cent  a  piece 
for  it?"  I  said,  "Yes."  He  knocked  the 
goods  down  to  Louis  Stix  &  Co.  I  forgot  to 
mention  this  purchase  in  my  letter,  and  the 
party  who  checked  of!  the  goods  mistook  the 
one  cent  for  one  dollar.  Considering  them 
very  cheap  at  that  price,  he  marked  them  for 
sale  at  $1.75.  When  I  returned  home,  I  met 
a  gentleman  who  asked  for  and  obtained  prac- 
tically the  entire  lot  at  $1.62^2  per  piece.  This 

145 


was  quite  a  profitable  speculation  for  me,  and 
at  the  same  time,  it  gave  such  satisfaction  to 
the  gentleman  who  bought  the  lot,  that  for 
years  after  he  begged  me  to  find  him  another 
lot  of  the  same  sort.  He  was  a  manufacturer 
of  fishing  supplies  and  would  willingly  have 
availed  himself  again  of  a  similar  opportunity 
to  secure  the  coveted  material,  but  I  regret  to 
state  I  found  it  impossible  to  accommodate 
him,  as  auction  sales  of  this  description  were 
not  frequent  occurrences.  The  same  goods  in 
the  last  two  years  were  so  much  in  vogue,  that 
they  would  have  been  cheap  at  five  dollars  a 
piece. 

Each  day  while  going  to,  and  returning  from 
business,  I  passed  a  dry  goods  store  on  Fifth 
Street,  kept  by  a  Mr.  Williams.  I  remarked 
to  my  partner,  Mr.  Swarts,  "I  think  it  is  not 
safe  to  sell  Mr.  Williams  goods  on  account, 
and  at  no  time  would  I  advise  you  to  let  him 
go  over  $1,000  as  it  is  but  a  question  of  time 
when  he  will  fail."  Mr.  Swarts,  who  was  at 
that  time  the  principal  credit  man,  thought  just 
the  opposite,  and  replied,  "Well,  you  will  have 
the  pleasure  of  refusing  him,  as  he  now  owes 
us  not  less  than  $5,000,  and  I  am  perfectly  will- 
ing he  shall  increase  his  indebtedness  10%  or 
20%  more.    He  is  a  daily  customer,  so  if  you 

146 


object  to  any  increase  on  his  account,  you  can 
give  him  notice  to  that  effect."  A  day  or  so 
after  Mr.  Williams  bought  about  $500  worth 
of  silks.  As  he  went  down  the  stairs,  Mr. 
Swarts  told  him  that  I  wanted  to  speak  to 
him.  I  told  him  that  his  account  was  more  than 
full  and  I  was  unwilling  to  have  it  continue  to 
grow  larger.  He  demanded  a  statement  and 
in  the  course  of  an  hour  his  check  was  received 
for  all  he  owed  us,  less  the  discount.  My 
reasons  for  prophesying  his  downfall  were  two 
in  number.  The  first  occurred  to  me  one  day 
when,  urged  very  strongly  by  a  New  York 
friend,  I  took  a  drive.  It  was  a  very  busy  day 
for  the  retail  dry  goods  men  and  I  met  Mr. 
Williams  out  carriage  driving,  when  the  rush 
being  great,  he  might  have  been  at  his  store. 
My  second  reason  was  based  upon  the  fact 
that  he  ruined  far  more  silks  than  he  could 
afford  on  his  show  windows.  For  a  year  or 
more  after  we  had  closed  with  him,  whenever 
Mr.  Swarts  and  I  passed  the  store,  he  would 
repeat  the  words  which  I  had  uttered  and  upon 
which  I  had  acted,  "This  man  must  and  will 
fail."  He  tried  hard  to  make  me  acknowledge 
that  this  was  one  of  my  eccentricities — of 
which  he  believed  I  had  my  full  share.  My 
prophecy  did  come  true  however,  though  a 

147 


little  later  than  I  had  thought  it  would.  To 
my  surprise  Mr.  Williams  was  able  to  pay  very 
little  of  all  that  he  owed,  as  he  was  really  bank- 
rupt before  his  financial  deficiencies  became 
known.  For  at  least  two  weeks  after  the 
failure  was  made  public,  Mr.  Swarts  always 
found  an  excuse  for  not  going  home  with  me 
and  passing  the  store  of  Mr.  Williams.  My 
words  of  warning,  which  all  along  had  been 
discredited,  now  that  they  had  in  reality  found 
fulfilment,  were  no  longer  repeated  as  one  of 
my  peculiar  fancies. 

I  had  in  my  employ  for  ten  years  or  more 
a  good  trustworthy  man  by  the  name  of  John 
Jones.  He  became  dissatisfied  after  some 
other  house  had  promised  him  a  large  ad- 
vance in  salary,  and  acted  in  an  unbecoming 
manner,  quite  the  reverse  of  his  usual  gentle- 
manly conduct.  I  told  him  that  if  he  wished 
to  go,  I  would  not  stand  in  the  way  of  his  ad- 
vancement, and  although  his  time  was  not  up, 
his  salary  would  be  paid  him  up  to  the  hour  he 
left.  He  accepted  the  new  position  which  was 
only  guaranteed  on  his  promise  that  his  trade 
would  follow  him.  In  this  respect  he  signally 
failed  and  consequently  lost  the  situation.  Be- 
ing out  of  work,  he  was  forced  to  accept  a  very 
poor  place  in  a  shoe  store,  which  he  kept  only 

148 


a  short  time.  He  commenced  drinking,  got  in 
debt,  and  although  an  excellent,  reliable  man 
while  in  our  employ,  could  no  longer  support 
himself  nor  his  family,  and  sank  lower  and 
lower  from  day  to  day.  His  wife,  who  was  al- 
ways a  lady,  came  to  me,  knowing  that  in  the 
heat  of  temper  he  had  insulted  me,  and  begged 
me  to  take  him  back.  I  promised  to  do  so  if 
he  would  ask  my  pardon.  She  went  away  per- 
fectly happy  and  the  next  morning  he  came 
prepared  to  carry  out  the  arrangement  I  had 
made  with  his  wife.  I  told  him  that  his  will- 
ingness to  do  right  was  as  good  as  the  deed, 
and  that  he  might  go  to  work  and  feel  at  home 
as  in  the  past.  Soon  I  noticed  some  one  fol- 
lowing him  from  morning  till  night.  I  insisted 
upon  being  informed  in  regard  to  his  business 
and  learned  that  he  was  the  broker  of  a  life 
insurance  company;  that  Mr.  Jones'  dues  were 
now  thirty  days  past  due,  and  that  he  had  per- 
suaded the  company  to  be  lenient,  promising 
that  if  he  secured  his  position,  he  would  pay  up. 
I  advanced  the  money  for  a  year,  instead  of 
paying  quarterly  as  he  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
doing,  and  I  told  him  he  could  commence  to 
pay  it  back  to  me  when  his  other  debts  were 
all  discharged.  He  died  soon  after  and  his 
wife  followed  him  shortly.    They  left  three 

149 


children,  who,  of  course,  were  benefitted  by  the 
insurance,  and  who  would  have  been  quite  des- 
titute without  it.  The  church  trustees  paid 
me  the  premium  I  had  advanced,  and  thanked 
me  for  what  I  had  done  in  this  respect  for  my 
old  clerk,  while  my  conscience  rewarded  me 
as  well  for  the  kindness  I  had  extended. 

On  one  occasion  while  traveling  in  Indiana, 
I  called  at  the  store  of  Stix  &  Eckhard  to  have 
them  lend  me  $5  to  take  me  home  from  Madi- 
son. I  handed  the  ticket  agent  a  bank  bill  and 
he  returned  $7  and  the  ticket.  I  thereupon 
told  him  he  had  given  me  too  much,  as  I  had 
had  only  a  five  dollar  bill.  As  I  was  the  only 
passenger,  he  knew  well  that  I  was  mistaken. 
Nevertheless,  he  took  the  $5  back.  In  the 
morning  trying  to  buy  something  to  eat  on  the 
car  from  a  pedler,  I  found  the  $5  note  which 
Stix  &  Eckhard  had  loaned  me.  After  some 
study  upon  the  matter,  I  found  that  I  had  had 
a  $10  counterfeit  bill  in  my  pocket,  as  a  result 
of  a  law  suit  which  I  had  lost  before  Squire 
Schnellbecker,  I  being  unable  to  prove  that 
that  was  the  identical  bill  which  a  lady 
had  passed  on  me.  In  the  controversy,  it 
seems,  I  had  put  the  bill  back  into  my  pocket. 
I  informed  the  conductor  that  if  the  agent 
wished,  he  could  return  this  counterfeit  to  my 

I50 


address,  which  I  gave  him.  Up  to  the  present 
time  he  has  never  called  on  me,  nor  did  I  ever 
hear  from  him. 

Once,  upon  returning  from  one  of  my  busi- 
ness trips  in  the  East,  having  been  away  about 
a  month,  I  entered  a  saloon  in  the  evening,  and, 
in  a  fit  of  absent-mindedness,  sat  down  at  the 
same  table  with  my  father,  without  observing 
him.  This  made  him  so  indignant  that  he 
vowed  he  would  not  enter  my  house  for  a  year. 
Then  I  told  him  that  I  would  go  all  the  more 
frequently  to  see  him,  but  I  would  not  allow 
my  children  to  visit  him  while  he  remained 
from  under  my  roof.  It  would  have  been  a 
deprivation  to  father  not  to  see  his  grandchil- 
dren daily,  so  he  was  much  perplexed  as  to 
what  to  do.  In  his  extremity  he  went  to  Dr. 
Wise  for  counsel,  who  told  him  that  he  must 
not  adhere  to  his  resolution;  that  such  vows 
should  never  have  been  made,  and  certainly 
were  better  broken  than  kept.  The  same  de- 
lightful visits  we  so  thoroughly  enjoyed, 
were  then  resumed,  without  any  further  inter- 
ruption. I  tried  to  cure  myself  of  this  absent- 
mindedness  which  had  caused  this  trouble. 
Sometimes  when  my  thoughts  were  upon  other 
matters,  my  wife  used  to  send  some  one  to 
watch  for  me  when  I  was  expected,  as  I  fre- 

151 


quently  passed  the  house  without  realizing 
that  I  had  gone  beyond  it. 

During  this  year,  Alexander  Ascher,  an  old 
and  respected  friend  of  our  house,  and  par- 
ticularly of  mine,  became  involved  in  a  dispute 
with  our  book-keeper  and  cashier,  a  young  man 
of  unblemished  character,  with  highly  re- 
spected antecedents,  who  had  received  $100 
cash  from  Ascher  and  passed  a  receipt  to  him 
on  his  deposit  account,  while  on  the  books,  he 
credited  it  on  the  merchandise  account.  Both 
claimed  to  be  in  the  right.  Ascher  insisted 
that  he  had  deposited  one  hundred  dollars,  and 
paid  on  account  one  hundred  dollars.  Instead 
of  trying  to  come  to  an  understanding,  they 
got  further  apart  and  at  last  agreed  to  refer 
the  entire  matter  to  me  for  my  final  decision 
as  arbitrator.  My  position  was  an  awkward 
one.  On  one  hand,  if  I  decided  in  favor  of 
my  book-keeper,  I  should  probably  lose  a  valu- 
able customer ;  if  I  were  to  agree  with  Ascher's 
point  of  view  I  would  express  a  doubt  in  re- 
gard to  the  established  reputation  of  a  trust- 
worthy employee.  I  had  no  hesitation  in  de- 
termining in  favor  of  Mr.  K.  (my  cashier) 
who,  later,  became  my  partner.  Mr.  Ascher 
also  was  reconciled  and  we  remained  excellent 
friends. 

IS2 


My  old  and  worthy  friend,  Capt.  Nathan 
Menken,  who  forfeited  his  life  in  its  prime,  in 
the  year  1855,  was  an  exemplary  man  whose 
philanthropy  knew  no  bounds.  He  feared 
neither  the  bullet  nor  the  sword.  He  took  the 
precaution  to  send  his  dear  family  away  from 
Memphis  during-  the  yellow  fever  epidemic, 
while  he  himself  joined  the  nurses  and  doctors, 
and  could  be  found  in  the  thick  of  the  fight, 
notwithstanding  that  he  had  seen  hundreds  of 
his  friends  and  acquaintances  swept  away  by 
this  treacherous  enemy.  He  stood  by  his  post 
until  he  himself  became  a  victim  to  this  raging 
disease,  enlisting  in  the  most  dangerous  work, 
foremost  to  try  to  save  the  poor  who  were  not 
able  to  engage  nurses.  The  fact  that  he  was  a 
strict  vegetarian  was  against  him,  and  his 
strength  was  not  sufficient  to  enable  him  to 
work  unceasingly  day  and  night.  He  fell,  as 
he  lived,  for  his  country.  History  will  speak 
of  such  as  he,  as  long  as  the  world  stands. 
May  he  rest  and  sleep  in  peace.  Let  me  change 
my  theme,  writing  of  the  ones  who  lived  to 
mourn  his  loss.  His  noble  wife,  just  past 
twenty,  was  too  young  to  realize  her  position, 
while  her  four  children  were  not  old  enough 
to  feel  the  loss  of  their  illustrious  and  eminent 
father.    In  his  exemplary  children  may  he  live 

153 


again.  May  their  highway  be  strewn  with 
thornless  roses,  bright  sunshine  accompany 
them,  love  and  harmony  be  their  portion 
throughout  life. 

Captain  Menken's  widow  asked  me  to  take 
charge  of  his  estate  and  wind  up  his  affairs, 
which  were  badly  involved.  She  begged  me  to 
become  his  administrator,  as  I  had  been  her 
husband's  friend  and  knew  her  in  a  business 
way.  I  strongly  objected,  knowing  that  she 
had  near  relatives  who  certainly  had  more 
time  to  attend  to  all  the  details  of  the  settle- 
ment than  I  had,  and  who  were,  I  believed, 
more  capable,  and  in  every  respect  trustworthy 
and  honorable.  Besides,  the  greater  part  of 
my  time  I  was  obliged  to  be  absent  from  the 
city  on  business.  Her  entreaties  were  so 
urgent  that  she  finally  prevailed  upon  me  to 
call  upon  her  lawyer  at  his  office.  He  was  a 
Mr.  Corwin,  a  cousin  of  the  Hon.  Thomas 
Corwin,  a  most  distinguished  jurist.  He  prom- 
ised if  I  would  accept  the  trust  he  would  see 
that  I  was  put  to  very  little  inconvenience. 
With  this  understanding,  and  because  of  her 
persuasions,  I  finally  consented  to  do  as  she 
wished.  While  I  had  always  admired  and  re- 
spected her,  I  learned  to  esteem  and  honor  her 
more  than  ever  when  I  understood  her  upright 

154 


dealing  and  honorable  transactions.  As  ad- 
ministrator, I  sold  her  the  stock,  which  was 
worth  less  than  one-half  of  the  indebtedness 
of  the  estate,  and  would  not  have  realized  one 
quarter  by  forced  sale.  We  sold  her  all  the 
goods  she  wanted,  while  she  paid  the  estate 
in  less  time  than  the  law  allowed  her  to  take. 
In  1857,  when  I  submitted  my  settlement  of 
the  estate  accounts  to  the  court,  the  judge 
made  Mrs.  Menken  and  myself  the  following 
gratifying  compliment, — "I  am  one  of  the  old- 
est judges  on  the  bench,  and  since  I  have  occu- 
pied the  position  this  is  the  first  *and  only 
time  that  the  creditors  have  received  their 
claims  in  full  from  an  estate  which  promised 
so  little." 

Mrs.  Menken's  hard  work,  untiring  energy, 
frugality  and  economy  had  brought  its  reward. 
Nevertheless,  she  would  not  let  the  opportunity 
go  by  without  showing  me  her  great  apprecia- 
tion. She,  with  her  lovely  children,  planned 
to  give  me  a  surprise  by  inviting  her  friends  to 
witness  the  presentation  to  me  of  a  silver 
pitcher.  The  feast  and  the  well-prepared 
speech  in  my  honor  were  all  arranged  ad- 
mirably, and  everything  was  conducted  exactly 
as  had  been  planned.  They  had  already  made 
certain  that  I  was  to  be  in  the  city,  and  when 

155 


the  evening  arrived,  one  of  the  sons  was  to 
have  asked  me  to  dine  at  their  house.  For 
the  only  time  in  my  life  that  I  can  remember 
I  had  left  the  store  without  stating  where  I 
could  be  found.  I  was  persuaded  to  join  a 
member  of  the  large  silk  house  of  Gourd 
Freres,  of  New  York,  who  was  a  staunch 
friend  of  mine,  at  the  Burnett  House,  and  who 
insisted  on  my  accompanying  him.  I  had  no 
idea  of  staying  more  than  a  few  minutes  when 
I  went  there,  but  I  was  ushered  quite  unex- 
pectedly into  a  private  parlor  where  there  was 
a  delicious  lunch  spread,  with  a  liberal  quantity 
of  champagne  and  a  jovial  crowd.  After  we 
had  entered,  the  door  was  locked.  I  deter- 
mined, as  soon  as  I  realized  what  was  going  on, 
to  leave  at  the  first  opportunity,  as  all  was  very 
foreign  to  my  habits  and  customs.  Neverthe- 
less, I  drank  enough  with  my  fellow  merchants 
to  make  me  feel  merry  and  sprightly,  although 
I  never  was  intoxicated  in  my  life.  I  thought 
I  heard  some  one  inquiring  at  the  entrance  of 
the  parlor  for  me,  but  I  was  told  that  I  was 
mistaken,  though  it  seemed  some  one  had  an- 
swered that  I  was  not  there.  My  young  man 
and  Menken's  made  every  effort  to  find  me, 
but  without  success.  Then  my  wife  became 
uneasy  and  did  not  know  where  to  look  for 

156 


me.  Again  my  clerk,  who  strongly  suspected 
that  I  was  at  the  Burnett  House,  came  in  search 
of  me.  They  knocked  at  the  door  and  called 
me  by  name.  I  answered,  and  would  not  allow 
my  friends  to  keep  me  from  seeing  who  was 
inquiring  for  me,  and  what  was  wanted.  I 
promised  to  return  as  soon  as  possible.  But, 
when  I  learned  that  a  large  party  was  waiting 
for  me,  I  sent  my  young  man  back  to  explain, 
and  I  went  directly  home  to  change  my  clothes. 
When  I  arrived  where  I  was  expected,  to  my 
astonishment,  I  found  a  large  gathering  of  the 
family  assembled.  I  sat  down,  although  a 
horizontal  position  would  have  suited  me  much 
better.  One  son  escorted  me  to  the  place  of 
honor  and  Mr.  Jacob  Menken  thereupon  ad- 
dressed me  in  a  most  flattering  speech.  My 
answer,  the  press  remarked,  was  to  the  point. 
When  silver  declined  in  value,  my  appreciation 
of  this  silver  pitcher  still  increased  tenfold, 
and  the  beautiful  and  elegant  address  at  its 
presentation  will  never  be  forgotten  as  long 
as  memory  remains.  My  true  friendship  for 
the  donors  has  increased  and  become  stronger 
as  age  has  come  upon  me,  and  while  my  facul- 
ties and  powers  are  retained,  I  shall  never  cease 
to  remember  them  in  all  sincerity  and  kindness. 
But  I  experienced  quite  a  different  treatment 
157 


in  attending  to  the  settlement  of  the  affairs 
of  Mrs.  Eva  Wise  and  her  daughter,  who  acted 
very  shabbily  toward  me  and  seemed  to  feel 
that  I  had  not  served  them  properly.  Al- 
though I  paid  them  lawful  interest,  7%,  yet 
I  was  asked  by  Mr.  Friedman,  the  brother  of 
Eva  Wise,  if  I  would  not  give  them  10%,  as 
they  believed  the  money  was  worth  that  inter- 
est. I  declined  to  conclude  matters  for  them 
except  under  the  sanction  of  the  court,  though 
I  was  asked  to  pay  over  the  money  informally. 
They  made  it  all  as  difficult  as  possible  for  me, 
and  to  this  day  neither  mother  nor  daughter 
have  addressed  a  single  line  to  me  in  acknowl- 
edgment, and  neither  of  them  had  sufficient 
good  breeding  to  call  upon  my  wife  and  myself, 
when  we  visited  Cincinnati,  during  the  winter 
of  1895.  In  a^  my  experience  of  a  long  life- 
time in  business  dealings,  I  have  found  them 
the  only  exceptions  to  the  universal  rule  of 
gratitude.  I  charged  nothing  whatever  for 
my  services,  according  to  my  usual  custom. 
My  private  opinion  of  such  unbecoming  con- 
duct, I  leave  to  your  imagination  to  determine. 
My  next  administratorship  and  guardianship 
was  in  1875,  f°r  tne  estate  of  Mr.  Galland.  I 
had  made  up  my  mind  long  before  this,  to  ac- 
cept no  more  trusts  of  this  kind,  but  when  I 

158 


learned  that  it  was  the  wish  of  this  nobleman 
to  see  me  just  before  his  death,  it  was  not  in 
my  heart  to  refuse  his  desire  that  I  should  take 
charge  of  his  affairs  on  behalf  of  his  estimable 
widow.  I  was  in  Cincinnati  at  the  time,  and 
I  accepted  the  trust  he  so  earnestly  requested 
me  to  assume.  It  looked  at  first  as  if  he  had 
nearly  sacrificed  his  all,  but  with  the  aid  of  his 
exemplary  wife  I  succeeded  in  saving  from 
the  wreck  quite  a  considerable  amount.  I 
am  not  gifted  with  language  sufficiently  ex- 
tensive and  choice  to  express  my  exalted  opin- 
ion of  Mrs.  Galland's  conduct.  By  her  care, 
frugality  and  economy,  she  has  managed  to 
save  for  her  children  beyond  all  expectation. 
She  has  been  very  little  trouble  to  me.  She 
has  never  omitted  an  opportunity  to  show  her 
true  appreciation  and  gratitude  for  every  favor 
I  have  been  able  to  bestow.  I  was  the  one  to 
give  away  the  daughter  at  her  marriage  a 
short  time  ago.  I  have  since  wound  up  the 
estate,  as  all  the  children  have  reached  the  age 
of  maturity,  but  the  mother  and  one  of  the 
daughters  still  insist  on  my  taking  care  of 
their  money. 

There  was  an  amusing  incident  connected 
with  Mr.  J.  S.  Menken's  wedding.  I  had  been 
aware  for  some  weeks  that  Mrs.  Stix  and  my- 

159 


self — I  being  called  adopted  father — were  to 
be  honored  guests  at  this  ceremony,  and  more- 
over, that  I  should  be  called  upon  and  expected 
to  say  such  words  of  congratulation  as  might 
best  fit  the  occasion.  Fully  conscious  of  my 
inadequacy  in  the  use  of  the  English  language, 
and  desiring  to  prepare  myself  to  the  best  of  my 
ability  for  the  speech-making  that  the  festivi- 
ties might  require,  I  had  formulated  a  series 
of  remarks  in  my  own  mind,  which  I  fancied 
would  be  pleasantly  received,  and  rather  aston- 
ish my  hearers  than  otherwise.  In  fact,  I  im- 
agined that  I  had  brought  my  oration  to  a 
point  verging  upon  perfection,  but  forgot  to 
reckon  upon  the  difference  between  mental  ar- 
rangement and  the  utterance  of  one's  precon- 
ceived ideas  before  an  audience.  The  wedding 
was  celebrated  in  the  parlor  of  the  home  of 
the  bride's  parents.  Her  father  was  one  of 
our  prominent  lawyers,  and  had  a  large  circle 
of  friends  among  the  city  authorities,  and  the 
lights  of  the  bench  and  bar.  I  found  myself 
seated  among  some  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  the  metropolis,  being  supported  on  one 
side  by  His  Honor,  the  Mayor,  while  upon  the 
other,  next  to  Mrs.  Stix,  sat  a  judge  of  no  little 
eminence.  Being  thus  surrounded  by  so  many 
men  of  marked  literary  ability,  it  will  hardly 

160 


seem  wonderful  that  the  old  glazier  should 
have  become  badly  flurried  when  called  upon 
for  his  speech.  I  arose,  shivering  and  embar- 
rassed, in  answer  to  the  general  desire  of  the 
guests,  but,  alas,  not  a  word  could  I  remember 
in  spite  of  my  elaborate  preparations.  Sud- 
denly I  called  to  mind  a  warning  I  had  re- 
ceived in  my  childhood  from  my  adored  mother, 
and  fancied  that  its  recital  might  help  me  out 
of  my  difficulty.  I  began  by  describing  my 
village  home,  remarking  that  we  had  lived 
away  from  any  city,  in  the  interior  of  Germany ; 
and  while  we  had  often  heard  of  such  distin- 
guished people  as  judges,  lawyers,  mayors 
and  other  high  official  dignitaries,  not  to  men- 
tion others  equally  noted  for  intellectual  and 
professional  acquirements,  I  had  never  before 
mingled  so  freely  with  these  wonderful  person- 
ages. I  told  them  how  when  my  dear  mother 
bade  me  good-bye  upon  the  eve  of  my  sailing 
for  America,  she  cautioned  me  never  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  any  lawyer,  judge,  or 
others  in  high  positions.;  and  as  an  object  les- 
son to  impress  it  upon  my  mind,  she  took  up 
her  shears,  which  were  always  exceedingly 
sharp,  explaining,  while  she  opened  and  closed 
them  repeatedly,  "You  might  imagine  that  one 
of  these  blades  would  destroy  the  other.  On 

161 


the  contrary  they  only  injure  that  which  comes 
between  them.  It  is  the  same,  my  son,  with 
these  lawyers  and  judges;  they  fight  and  quar- 
rel in  conducting  their  cases  among  them- 
selves, as  if  their  lives  depended  upon  it,  yet 
after  all,  they  only  ruin  the  clients  who  are 
the  subjects  of  their  controversies."  The 
warning  recalled,  I  said,  a  "Punch  and  Judy" 
show,  where  by  some  mechanical  contrivance, 
the  puppets  are  made  to  scratch  each  others' 
faces  while  on  exhibition  before  the  public,  yet 
lie  amicably  side  by  side  in  the  same  box  after 
the  performance  is  over.  When  the  papers  re- 
ferred to  the  wedding  in  their  next  day's  issue, 
they  reported  my  speech,  and  declared  that  the 
remarks  made  by  the  witty  Louis  Stix  were 
the  gem  of  the  felicitous  utterances  made  by 
many  eminent  gentlemen  during  the  evening. 
Moreover  my  talk  was  warmly  applauded  by 
the  ladies  present,  and  I  found  myself  congrat- 
ulated on  all  sides  at  my  success.  Among 
those  who  thus  approved  my  (to  me)  unex- 
pected oratorical  effort,  was  my  neighbor  at 
the  table,  Mayor  Gunther,  whose  compliments 
I  found  particularly  agreeable.  They  say, 
"There  is  a  way  out  of  every  difficulty,"  and 
I  have  to  thank  my  mother's  warning  for  find- 
ing one  for  me  on  this  occasion. 

162 


KEY  TO  BIRTHPLACE 

Presented  to  me  by  Mr.  Elias  Michaels 


While  I  am  naturally  conservative  and  in- 
clined to  be  reasonably  careful  in  my  com- 
mercial methods,  I  have  always  been  a  man  of 
strong  and  decided  prejudice,  trying  to  prove 
myself  a  friend  to  those  worthy  of  my  confi- 
dence, and  with  those  of  a  contrary  nature  I 
was  unyielding.  During  the  year  1868  Men- 
ken Bros,  found  themselves  in  a  critical  finan- 
cial situation  at  a  period  when  business  was 
dull,  the  market  panicky,  and  when  even  the 
best  firms  were  meeting  difficulties.  Our  own 
house  was  no  exception.  However,  when 
Menken  Bros,  required  assistance,  though  we 
found  difficulty  in  meeting  ouf  own  engage- 
ments, still  it  was  a  question  of  life  and  death 
with  them.  As  may  easily  be  divined  from  my 
statement,  we  had  no  money  to  spare,  and  my 
many  friends  were  equally  hampered.  I  had 
long  ceased  to  issue  any  accommodation  paper, 
and  felt  exceedingly  reluctant  to  deviate  from 
my  rule.  Nevertheless,  I  gave  Menken  Bros, 
our  notes  to  a  considerable  amount,  and  by  so 
doing  enabled  them  to  tide  over  the  time  of 
difficulty.  It  is  a  gratification  to  me  to  know 
that  I  was  so  placed  as  to  afford  pecuniary  aid, 
though  at  some  personal  hazard,  to  those  who 
proved  both  worthy  and  grateful. 

To  Mr.  Jacob  Menken  also  is  due  my  grati- 
163 


tude  for  the  delightful  surprise  and  pleasure 
he  afforded  me  by  taking  a  photographer  to 
my  birthplace  and  having  a  picture  made  of 
the  very  spot  where  my  early  days  were  passed. 
Those  who  have  traveled  far  on  the  journey 
of  life  can  understand  the  worth  of  a  view  so 
intimately  connected  with  years  long  since  gone 
by.  They  revive  recollections,  renew  one's 
youth,  and  bring  us  back  as  we  near  the  river's 
mouth  to  its  fountain  head.  It  was  a  gracious 
thought  on  the  part  of  the  donor  to  afford  me 
this  gratification.  After  all,  be  the  experiences 
of  life  what  they  may,  its  best  and  purest  asso- 
ciations are  bound  up  with  its  early  begin- 
nings, however  humble  they  may  have  been. 
Is  it  singular  then,  that  I  desire  to  preserve 
mementos  so  creditable  to  the  good,  kind 
hearts  of  my  friends? 

I  remember  one  occasion,  when  I  returned 
from  the  East  quite  unexpectedly,  I  found  my 
wife  ready  to  accompany  brother  Henry  to  a 
masked  ball  of  the  Almania  Society,  of  which 
society  I  was  a  member.  I  insisted  that  she 
should  go  despite  my  return,  while  I  preferred 
to  remain  at  home.  Later  I  decided  to  follow, 
and  went  to  Dr.  Bettman,  who  lent  me  his 
morning  gown  and  his  velvet  cap.  I  took  the 
niece  of  the  doctor  with  me.    In  this  disguise 

164 


I  was  in  the  ball-room  the  greater  part  of  the 
evening  without  being  recognized  by  any  one. 
I  conversed  with  my  wife  and  sister;  asked 
them  where  Air.  Stix  was,  and  inquired  after 
his  health  without  exciting  the  slightest  sus- 
picion in  regard  to  my  identity.  I  also  ad- 
dressed Airs.  Hackes  and  questioned  her  about 
every  child  and  grandchild  she  had.  She  could 
not  understand  how  a  stranger  could  possibly 
know  all  their  names.  At  last  she  insisted 
upon  seeing  my  hand  and,  drawing  off  my 
glove,  she  knew  my  ring.  If  I  had  not  sought 
my  own  people  and  talked  with  them  about 
family  affairs  they  would  never  have  discov- 
ered me.  My  disguise  was  perfect.  I  enjoyed 
with  all  my  heart  Marcus  Fechheimer's  imper- 
sonation of  a  match  woman,  which  was  a  de- 
cided success,  exhibiting  in  the  masker  the 
powers  of  a  fine  actor  and  a  careful  ob- 
server. 

In  the  year  1857,  on  my  way  back  from  New 
York  I  telegraphed  as  usual  to  my  wife's  sis- 
ter at  Columbus  to  meet  me  at  the  depot.  My 
first  thought  was  to  buy  a  Cincinnati  paper, 
but  my  wife's  sister,  aware  of  the  failure  of 
the  bank  with  which  we  did  business,  kept  me 
from  looking  over  the  large  headings,  knowing 
that  I  would  feel  very  much  worried  and  ex- 

165 


cited.  After  the  train  left  the  station,  I  read 
the  announcement  and  I  felt  that  our  last  dollar 
would  probably  be  lost.  The  morning  after 
my  arrival  in  Cincinnati,  I  went  for  advice  to 
my  friend  and  lawyer,  Mr.  Kebler.  The  bank 
was  regarded  by  every  one  as  the  strongest 
and  most  conservative  institution  in  the  United 
States.  Its  failure  brought  about  the  greatest 
panic  this  country  ever  passed  through.  I 
wanted  Mr.  Kebler  to  attach  the  bank  assets 
in  Kentucky.  He  read  the  oath  to  me  which 
it  would  be  necessary  to  take  if  he  did  as  I 
asked,  well  knowing  that  I  would  not  take  it. 
I  then  informed  him  that  some  other  attorneys 
of  whom  I  had  heard  had  taken  out  attach- 
ments and  did  not  require  any  oath.  I  well 
knew  there  were  lawyers  who  were  very  un- 
scrupulous in  their  practice  of  collecting 
claims.  I  called  on  Messrs.  Nesmith  &  Thomp- 
son, but  without  effect.  I  then  turned  to  Mr. 
Kebler  for  further  counsel.  We  agreed  to 
call  on  the  bank  officers  who  were  all  acquaint- 
ances and  friends  of  ours.  I  was  intimate 
with  the  president  and  the  families  of  all  the 
bank  officials,  who  had  run  accounts  with  me 
when  I  was  in  the  retail  dry  goods  trade.  The 
officers  were  Messrs.  Fostick,  Gross,  Ditrich 
and  Dar.    I  asked  their  advice  and  told  them 

166 


that  I  had  heard  a  large  amount  of  their  assets 
had  been  attached  in  Kentucky.  They  wanted 
to  know  if  I  would  make  the  affidavit  required 
by  law  in  such  cases.  Mr.  Kebler  informed 
them  that  I  refused  to  do  this.  Thereupon 
the  bank  officers  promised  that  if  the  Nesmith 
&  Thompson  attachments  against  the  bank,  or 
any  other  attachment  should  stand,  they  would 
hold  themselves  liable  privately  in  the  same 
amount  to  us  both,  (Mr.  Kebler  also  having 
his  money  on  deposit  with  the  bank). 

After  resorting  to  every  means  in  my  knowl- 
edge or  power  to  avoid  it,  I  was  at  last  com- 
pelled to  ask  indulgence  from  my  creditors  in 
consequence  of  the  bank's  failure.  Most  of  the 
houses  met  me  in  a  very  liberal  spirit,  and  in 
less  than  two  weeks  I  was  in  a  position  to  meet 
every  account  and  note.  Among  those  who 
showed  me  great  consideration  was  Mr. 
Adrian  Iselin,  to  whom  I  owed  by  far  the  most 
money.  When  I  paid  him,  he  called  me  into 
his  private  office  and  wanted  to  know  how  I 
intended  managing  from  this  time  on,  as  he, 
as  well  as  all  other  importing  houses,  had 
agreed  to  sell  goods  in  future  for  cash,  while 
before  they  had  allowed  eight  months'  time 
with  two  or  three  months'  dating.  I  told  him 
I  would  be  obliged  to  do  as  others  did,  sell 

167 


only  for  cash,  whereupon  he  said,  "Although 
I  cannot  sell  you  on  time,  I  will  credit  you  to- 
day with  about  double  the  amount  you  ever 
owed  me.  You  can  use  this  cash  whenever  it 
suits  your  convenience,  and  pay  legal  interest 
for  the  accommodation,  but,  if  you  do  not  use 
it,  no  interest  need  be  paid."  I  never  used  a 
dollar  thus  offered.  Still  it  gave  me  a  chance 
to  pay  my  debts  as  they  became  due,  knowing 
if  there  was  any  necessity  I  had  this  amount 
at  my  disposal.  This  kind  act  cemented  the 
friendship  I  had  always  had  for  my  friend,  and 
made  my  regard  for  him  warmer  and  more  en- 
during. 

This  panic  of  1857,  though  more  severe  and 
trying  than  any  through  which  I  had  passed, 
was  only  of  short  duration,  and  business  was 
not  interrupted  by  it  for  any  length  of  time. 
During  this  same  embarrassment,  A.  S.  Her- 
man went  to  see  a  house,  Waat,  Dunham  & 
Graham,  in  my  behalf.  They  had  always 
shown  themselves  my  friends,  and  I  owed  them 
about  $2,000.  The  senior  partner,  Mr.  Waat, 
said:  "You  tell  Mr.  Stix  there  is  nothing  for 
which  he  can  ask  that  I  will  not  consent  to  at 
once,  even  if  it  were  a  receipt  in  full  without 
a  penny."  During  the  last  decade  he  applied 
to  me  for  a  loan.    I  gave  him  a  share  of  what 

168 


he  needed  and  advised  him  to  get  the  rest  from 
some  of  his  numerous  friends.  I  told  him  to 
be  in  no  haste  about  repaying  me,  as  he  could 
take  his  own  time.  I  am  satisfied  he  meant  to 
return  the  amount,  yet  sickness  and  old  age  pre- 
vented him.  Finally  death  relieved  him  from 
all  trouble  and  embarrassment,  and  I  am  sure 
it  was  welcome  when  it  came.  He  was  an 
honorable  merchant  and  a  good  man,  but  not 
wide  awake  enough  for  the  present  age.  He 
could  not  compete  with  the  progressiveness  of 
this  era,  and  was  compelled  to  yield  to  younger 
and  more  energetic  men. 

After  the  panic  we  opened  an  account  with 
the  American  Exchange  National  Bank,  which 
we  have  kept  ever  since.  Some  years  ago  I 
had  occasion  to  call  at  this  bank.  The  Secre- 
tary, Mr.  Clarke,  knew  me,  as  I  had  kept  my 
personal  account  there.  How  I  ever  succeeded 
in  doing  so  will  always  be  a  mystery  to  me. 
Many  a  time  Mr.  Clarke  cleared  up  my  cash 
accounts,  which  had  somehow  become  muddled, 
and  straightened  out  difficulties  resulting  from 
my  new  system  of  book-keeping,  of  which  he 
did  not  altogether  approve.  I  always  found 
him  a  perfect  gentleman  and  am  pleased  to  pay 
him  this  compliment  so  richly  deserved.  He 
took  me  to  the  president,  a  Mr.  Cot,  and  asked 

169 


him  if  he  knew  me,  as  I  had  kept  an  account 
with  the  bank  for  nearly  half  a  century.  Mr. 
Coe  answered: — yes,  he  knew  me,  although 
unable  to  call  me  by  name ;  that  I  was  a  west- 
ern man,  good  for  any  amount  for  which  I 
drew  my  check. — I  do  not  believe  I  entered  the 
bank  a  dozen  times  during  the  37  years  of 
business  connection  with  it. 

In  1858  we  celebrated  dear  father's  seven- 
tieth birthday.  The  recollection  of  this  happy 
event  has  always  been  a  pleasant  one  for  us 
all,  brothers,  sisters  and  friends,  who  joined 
in  the  joyful  festivities.  No  credit  is  due  the 
writer  for  the  celebration  on  that  occasion,  as 
he  was  out  of  town,  and  only  returned  at  the 
last  moment.  My  brothers  had  engaged  a 
band  of  musicians  who  serenaded  dear  father, 
and  some  of  the  brothers  and  a  few  friends 
who  had  fine  voices  sang.  All  father's  chil- 
dren were  present.  Parents  insisted  on  shar- 
ing their  honor  with  my  wife  who  was  held 
at  home  by  our  newly  born  son  Robert,  then 
only  seven  days  old ;  and  so  the  band,  at  their 
request,  had  to  play  before  our  house.  Our 
beloved  parents  were  supremely  happy  in  their 
celebration.  As  long  as  memory  endures,  we 
can  never  forget  the  pleasure  we  felt  that  day. 
Their  joy  was  most  delightful  to  witness  and 

170 


to  hold  sacred  in  our  recollection.  We  all 
united  to  contribute  sweetness  to  their  declin- 
ing years,  so  that  the  evening  of  their  lives 
should  not  be  less  lovely  than  was  its  morning. 
While  their  children  had  prospered,  father  him- 
self was  happy  in  being  able  to  support  himself 
and  family  and  accumulate  means  for  his  old 
age.  The  following  incident  shows  how  much 
father  appreciated  the  love  and  attention  of  his 
children. 

One  day  as  father  and  I  rambled  through 
the  graveyard  in  Cincinnati,  where  the  ashes 
of  some  of  our  dear  ones  reposed,  I  saw  in  the 
distance  a  gorgeous  monument  and  inquired 
of  him,  whose  tomb  it  was  that  thus  attracted 
my  attention.  He  replied,  "It  is  but  right 
that  those  children  should  have  erected  that 
memorial  to  their  parents  to  whom  they  owed 
so  much,  and  for  whom  they  did  so  little  when 
they  were  living.  As  for  my  children,  I  want 
them  to  erect  but  a  simple  stone  to  mark  my 
resting  place,  for  they  have  been  building  a 
monument  all  their  lives,  which  neither  time 
nor  the  inclemencies  of  weather  can  ever  de- 
stroy/' We  did  indeed  strive  for  our  dear 
parents'  happiness.  Above  all  other  consid- 
erations, this  was  pre-eminent.  In  this  we 
were  also  assisted  by  those  joined  to  us  through 

171 


marriage,  for  we  all  were  extremely  fortunate 
in  our  selection  of  life  companions,  and  owe 
much  of  our  peaceful  and  happy  family  life  to 
the  fact  that  we  brothers  were  blessed  with 
exemplary  and  model  wives.  I  hope  that  our 
family  record  will  ever  retain  its  present  repu- 
tation— as  long  as  our  name  endures. 

Happiness  reigned  supreme  in  our  parents' 
new  American  home,  where  they  were  keeping 
house  with  their  unmarried  children.  Their 
home  was  eagerly  sought  by  all  their  mar- 
ried children,  and  no  less  by  their  friends 
and  acquaintances,  especially  by  such  as 
were  connoisseurs  of  good  living  and  food 
tastefully  served,  for  my  mother  was  an  admir- 
able cook  and  notable  housekeeper,  and  you 
could  not  please  her  better  than  by  displaying 
an  excellent  appetite;  indeed  it  was  difficult  to 
leave  her  well  furnished  table  without  eating 
more  than  was  good  for  you.  Our  numerous 
friends,  however,  braved  that  difficulty  and  sel- 
dom missed  an  opportunity  to  partake  of  the 
delicacies  she  was  so  competent  to  prepare,  and 
pleased  to  offer. 

About  i860,  while  on  my  way  home  to  Cin- 
cinnati with  my  son  Joe  (usually  one  of  the 
children  traveled  with  me)  via  Philadelphia 
we  were  water-bound  between  New  York  and 

172 


Philadelphia.  We  could  not  move  either  way. 
After  eighteen  hours  of  delay,  we  could  only 
get  away  by  taking  a  skiff,  and  then  the  cars, 
which  came  to  our  relief.  Many  people  had 
nothing  to  eat  for  twenty-four  hours.  Chil- 
dren were  crying  for  bread.  As  usual,  I  was 
prepared  with  lunch  enough  for  half  a  dozen. 
I  also  carried  a  bottle  of  wine,  and  a  flask  of 
whiskey.  I  had  a  trunk  full  of  German  ginger 
cakes  and  "Nuremberger  lebkuchen,"  which  I 
was  taking  home  to  mother  and  the  rest  of  the 
family.  I  handed  them  over  to  the  starving 
passengers.  While  that  partially1  satisfied 
their  hunger,  they  suffered  immensely  for  the 
want  of  water,  as  that  by  which  we  were  sur- 
rounded was  impregnated  with  salt,  and  fresh 
water  could  not  be  procured.  Some  Philadel- 
phians,  who  heard  that  I  would  remain  over  a 
day  or  so,  tried  hard  to  have  me  accept  a  dinner 
which  I  refused  with  thanks. 

From  the  day  I  first  landed  in  this  most  glori- 
ous country  until  the  present  time,  my  princi- 
ples have  never  undergone  any  radical  change. 
I  was  then,  as  I  am  now,  an  outspoken  oppo- 
nent of  all  involuntary  serfdom,  and  against 
the  acquisition  of  any  new  territory  to  perpetu- 
ate this  unfortunate  evil.  I  have  always 
advocated  a  gradual  emancipation,  and  an  in- 

173 


demnity  to  be  paid  by  the  government  to  our 
Southern  neighbors  for  their  pecuniary  losses 
in  parting  with  their  slaves.  I  could  never  un- 
derstand how  any  good  man  could  feel  or  think 
otherwise.  My  open  opposition  to  slavery  had 
cost  me  the  good-will  of  many  Southern  cus- 
tomers, and  at  no  time  before  the  war  was  it 
considered  safe  for  me  to  venture  south  of  Ma- 
son and  Dixon's  line.  I  was  fortunate  enough 
to  hear  Abraham  Lincoln  speak  in  Cincinnati, 
and  I  shared  all  his  opinions.  He  spoke  to 
thousands,  and  in  addressing  our  Kentucky 
neighbors,  claimed  no  more  right  to  interfere 
with  their  slaves  than  with  any  other  property 
they  might  possess.  He  cautioned  them 
against  any  unlawful  acts. 

A  short  time  before  the  war  I  was  in  New 
York.  I  went  with  brother  Henry  to  his 
boarding  house  for  dinner,  which  was  kept  by 
a  lady  whose  name  was  Mrs.  Weil.  Her  table 
was  one  of  the  best,  and  her  boarders  were 
about  equally  divided  between  North  and 
South.  In  a  general  conversation,  a  co-reli- 
gionist and  brother  merchant  living  in  the 
South,  whose  riches  about  equalled  my  own 
when  I  came  to  America,  remarked  that  South- 
erners could  not  live  without  slaves.  I  replied 
to  this  by  a  very  uncalled  for  remark  not  at  all 

174 


flattering  to  our  race  who  were  living  in  the 
South.  As  this  was  at  the  dinner  table,  the 
Southerner  who  had  learned  to  look  on  us 
Northerners  as  "dough  faces,"  as  they  called 
us,  drew  his  pistol  to  compel  me  to  take  back 
my  words.  A  gentleman  from  Cincinnati,  who 
was  at  the  table,  also  drew  his  pistol  and  of- 
fered to  meet  the  Southerner  in  any  way  he 
desired.  The  latter  was  only  too  glad  to  get 
away,  and  I  hope  has  since  learned  to  do  with- 
out slaves,  or  has  returned  to  the  place  from 
which  he  came,  where  he  was  almost  a  slave 
himself. 

While  I  was  buying  goods  in  New  York  at 
this  time,  the  most  exciting  news  was  received 
of  the  firing  of  the  Confederate  soldiers  on 
Fort  Sumter,  and  the  surrender  of  our  troops. 
I  have  never  seen  a  community  so  disheartened 
and  distressed.  The  staunchest  and  strongest 
cried  like  children.  All  good  citizens  felt  the 
calamity  and  feared  the  worst.  I  left  with  the 
first  train  for  home.  On  the  journey  all  sorts 
of  plans  for  the  future  came  into  my  mind. 
One  was  to  pack  up  our  stock  of  goods  and 
move  them  to  the  country,  which  idea  I  soon 
abandoned,  when  I  made  a  calculation  upon  the 
number  of  car-loads  they  would  make.  I  fig- 
ured that  at  least  twenty  cars  would  be  re- 

175 


quired.  At  that  time  that  was  the  greatest 
number  a  locomotive  could  draw.  Then  I 
thought  it  would  be  impossible  to  secure  the 
requisite  number  of  packing  boxes  and  cases, 
and  I  would  find  it  difficult,  if  not  impossible, 
to  get  any  insurance.  When  we  arrived  at 
Commonsville  most  of  the  passengers  alighted, 
but  I  went  directly  to  the  city  as  all  my  dear 
ones  were  there,  and  I  preferred  to  be  with 
them. 

On  my  way  home  from  the  depot  to  my  house, 
I  was  escorted  by  some  home  guards,  who  im- 
mediately enrolled  me  among  them.  I  was  sat- 
isfied with  this  arrangement,  as  it  put  me  in 
the  same  company  where  my  brothers  and 
friends  belonged,  and  I  was  particularly  pleased 
to  be  under  the  command  of  Judge  Storer  as 
captain.  My  first  act  of  service  was  to  stop 
a  gentleman  on  the  street  and  demand  his  pass, 
or  oblige  him  to  prove  that  he  belonged  to 
some  military  organization.  I  had  a  band 
around  my  hat  lettered  "Storer's  Home 
Guard,"  and  I  carried  a  Sharp's  rifle.  The 
man  would  not  answer  me,  nor  did  he  give 
me  any  satisfaction.  I  accordingly  brought 
him  to  headquarters.  The  officer  commenced 
laughing  and  told  me  that  the  prisoner  was 
deaf  and  dumb. 

176 


While  on  the  Kentucky  side,  standing  guard, 
an  immense  storm  was  approaching.  My  or- 
ders were  not  to  allow  any  one  to  pass  over  the 
bridge  except  nurses.  Some  ladies  approached 
me  and  desired  to  pass.  I  said  they  might 
cross  the  bridge  if  they  wished  to  do  so  as 
nurses.  They  felt  quite  insulted  and  were 
obliged  to  go  about  a  mile  further  down  the 
river  and  were  caught  in  a  very  heavy  storm. 

Some  time  after  this  experience,  I  was  re- 
leased from  duty,  having  taken  a  government 
contract  to  make  certain  flannel  under-gar- 
ments.  Any  person  thus  employed  was  per- 
mitted to  remain  at  home  to  attend  to  the  de- 
tails of  the  manufacturing  and  delivery  of  the 
goods.  For  this  reason  I  had  agreed  to  fur- 
nish the  garments  at  a  very  low  figure,  but 
when  they  were  ready  the  material  had  ad- 
vanced fully  1 00%,  so  I  really  had  offered  them 
at  a  losing  price.  They  were  not  accepted, 
however,  the  excuse  being  given  that  they 
were  not  up  to  the  required  standard.  I  asked 
the  officer  if  he  would  cancel  my  contract, 
which  he  willingly  did,  and  I  sold  the  goods 
the  same  day  for  50%  more  than  I  would  have 
received  for  them  from  the  government  had  all 
been  satisfactory.  But  singular  as  it  may  ap- 
pear, the  same  party  who  bought  them  from 

177 


me  at  an  advance  actually  disposed  of  these 
rejected  garments  to  the  government  for  about 
double  the  amount  I  was  to  have  received  orig- 
inally for  them.  I  did  not  hesitate,  when  I 
learned  of  this  transaction,  to  express  myself 
very  freely  in  reference  to  the  management  of 
the  officials,  and  I  received  word  that  if  I  did 
not  keep  my  mouth  closed  on  that  subject  not 
another  dollar  would  be  given  to  any  Cincin- 
nati firm  on  a  contract  from  that  time  forward. 
Moreover,  the  provost-marshal  informed  me 
personally  that  he  was  afraid  of  me,  and  he 
frequently  refused  to  furnish  me  with  permits 
for  shipping  any  merchandise  southward,  when 
other  firms,  for  some  unknown  reasons,  had  no 
difficulty  whatever  in  obtaining  them  when 
business  requirements  made  it  necessary. 
Why  this  distinction  was  made  in  their  favor, 
I  never  knew — excepting  that  bribery  and  cor- 
ruption had  made  such  inroads  that  it  was 
difficult  for  those  who  rejected  all  such  means 
to  have  any  favors  extended,  or  even  to  have 
their  just  rights  without  being  interfered  with. 

When  the  war  first  opened,  we  looked  upon 
our  stock  as  not  worth  50%  of  the  value  it  had 
before  the  trouble  began  while  our  outstand- 
ings we  regarded  as  nearly  good  to  the  full 
amount.    We  inventoried  them  on  the  first  of 

178 


the  year,  when  we  heard  that  the  government 
was  about  to  stop  all  goods  being  shipped  south 
of  Mason  and  Dixon's  line.  Like  all  in  the 
Northern  cities,  we  supplied  our  Southern  cus- 
tomers with  the  goods  we  could  get  ready  in 
time  to  ship.  We  worked  day  and  night,  and 
sold  very  extensively  to  the  South  before  there 
was  any  interference.  All  these  sales  were  a 
dead  loss,  so  far  as  my  memory  recalls,  except 
the  sale  which  was  made  to  Joseph  Amberg. 
This  outstanding  was  a  loss  in  my  judgment  of 
over  $100,000.  Our  stock  which  we  con- 
sidered worth  only  half  its  cost,  doubled  in 
value.  We  were  worth  $162,000  before  the 
war,  and  had  a  very  remunerative  business  at 
a  small  expense;  and  our  private  expenses 
were  only  about  one-fifth  of  what  they  are  to- 
day. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  the  depre- 
ciation in  the  value  of  notes  which  followed 
the  war.  About  1861,  I  owed  Messrs.  Corless 
&  Co.,  New  York,  on  a  note,  about  $12,000. 
It  had  a  long  time  to  run.  The  house  wrote 
me  to  the  effect,  that  they  would  allow  me  about 
2%  per  month  for  all  or  part,  and  if  I  did  not 
want  to  anticipate  either  the  whole  or  part,  I 
would  greatly  favor  them  if  I  would  agree  to 
divide  the  note.    I  sent  my  check  for  half,  and 

179 


a  new  note  for  the  balance.  But  when  these 
were  received,  the  house  had  already  disposed 
of  our  original  note  on  the  same  terms  as  those 
they  had  offered  me,  and  had  discounted  at  the 
bank  the  note  they  had  taken  in  negotiation,  so 
they  gave  our  check  and  note  to  the  purchasers. 
This  party  failed  soon  afterwards,  and  paid  but 
a  small  dividend,  while  we  paid  our  note  when 
it  became  due.  Only  the  very  best  notes  could 
be  disposed  of  even  at  this  discount  of  2%  a 
month. 

All  my  life  I  was  inclined  to  speculate  in 
goods  in  my  line,  and  particularly  so  during 
the  rebellion.  Only  a  short  time  before  the 
war  a  friend  of  mine,  a  Mr.  Kirkland,  intro- 
duced me  to  Mr.  John  Clark  from  Paisley, 
Scotland — a  manufacturer  of  spool  cotton. 
Mr.  Kirkland,  a  townsman  of  Mr.  Clark,  per- 
suaded me  to  give  him  a  large  order  for  his  six 
cord  cotton,  especially  made  for  the  American 
market.  For  the  purpose  of  introducing  them 
into  this  country,  he  sold  me  20,000  dozen 
spools  at  about  %  less  than  I  was  paying  his 
cousins  over  here,  who  nearly  had  a  monopoly. 
The  cotton  turned  out  to  be  not  quite  what  it 
should  have  been.  The  war  had  commenced, 
and  goods  had  advanced  in  price  considerably. 
I  kept  the  cotton,  without  making  the  claim  to 

180 


which  I  thought  I  was  entitled.  Mr.  Clark, 
having  had  difficulties  with  some  other  houses, 
wrote  me  that  he  had  some  of  his  goods  held 
subject  to  his  order  for  me  to  see.  The  house 
was  asking  about  double  what  I  had  paid,  but 
I  simply  said,  "I  will  take  them  at  the  same 
price  for  which  I  bought  them  before.  As  my 
price  was  confidential,  I  will  settle  with  Mr. 
Clark."  This  was  satisfactory — I  had  double 
the  quantity,  and  was  selling  them  at  double 
the  price  I  paid,  and,  later  on,  for  four  or  five 
times  as  much.  Some  time  afterwards,  John 
Clark  wrote  to  his  cousin,  a  commission  mer- 
chant down  town,  to  inform  me  that  I  could 
buy  the  third  lot  of  cotton  which  had  been  re- 
turned to  him.  He  wanted  ten  per  cent  less 
than  George  Clark's  or  Coates'  prices,  wlio 
were  selling  their  goods  at  that  time  for  Si  per 
dozen — about  three  times  the  price  I  had  paid. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  rebellion  I  came 
across  a  large  lot  of  6  cord,  200  yards,  spool 
cotton,  which  had  been  imported  for  a  New 
Orleans  house,  Pint  &  Sons.  This  lot  came 
too  late,  and  was  stopped  in  New  York,  as 
Louisiana  had  joined  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy. It  took  considerable  manoeuvring, 
but  I  succeeded  in  buying  the  100,000  dozen 
at  a  very  low  price,  35  cents  per  dozen.  The 

181 


salesman  every  little  while  mentions  the  matter 
to  my  son  Otto,  and  remarks  that  I  must  have 
made  a  little  fortune  out  of  this  purchase  from 
him. 

Shortly  before  we  moved  to  New  York,  my 
wife's  mother  was  taken  very  ill.  The  doctor 
gave  her  up  and  she  was  not  expected  to  live 
another  day.  A  set  of  women  called  at  our 
house,  whose  occupation  it  was  to  wait  on  the 
dying  and  pray  for  them,  according  to  the 
amount  of  pay  they  received.  This  custom  I 
objected  to  most  seriously,  as  women  of  this 
stamp  could  really  have  no  true  feeling  for  the 
patient,  and  could  only  consider  the  dollars  they 
received.  I  looked  upon  their  services  as 
heathenish,  savage  and  inhuman,  and,  without 
hesitation,  forbade  their  entering  the  sick  room, 
as  I  knew  that  my  mother-in-law  had  no  use  for 
such  hypocrites,  and  felt  exactly  as  I  did  about 
them.  When  I  refused  them  admission  to  her, 
they  had  the  impertinence  to  tell  me  that  they 
would  not  put  their  hands  on  the  corpse  if 
mother  should  die.  She  rallied,  however,  that 
very  night,  and  recovered;  whereas,  if  I  had 
permitted  those  ceremonies,  they  would  prob- 
ably have  hastened  her  death.  Mother  moved 
with  us  to  New  York,  and  passed  away  the  sec- 
ond year  after  we  left  Cincinnati.    While  in 

182 


every  way  a  noble  woman,  she  died  as  she  had 
lived,  without  any  religious  ceremony — never- 
theless a  good  and  model  woman. 

As  illustrative  of  her  strong  sense  of  right  I 
recall  the  following  humorous  incident.  A 
certain  vagabond,  who  had  the  advantage  of 
knowing  most  of  the  Hebrews  in  our  city,  made 
swindling  and  lying  his  occupation.  He 
started  out  with  the  intention  of  getting  what 
he  could  from  Mrs.  Hackes  and  my  wife,  to 
help  support  him  in  idleness.  Although  he 
was  known  to  be  an  impostor,  yet  nearly  every 
one  seemed  willing  to  be  victimized  by  the  ec- 
centric beggar,  and  to  contribute  a  certain 
share  to  his  assumed  necessities.  He  had  a 
brother,  who  was  a  very  respectable  man,  doing 
a  good  business,  but  who  found  it  impossible  to 
influence  him  to  give  up  the  wretched  way  of 
living  to  which  he  had  taken  a  fancy.  On  one 
occasion,  determined  to  make  a  haul,  he  told 
Mr.  Hackes  he  was  going  to  see  his  mother  and 
sister,  to  endeavor  to  get  something  out  of  them 
for  his  personal  assistance.  When  he  reached 
our  house,  he  said  he  had  been  sent  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hackes,  who  had  helped  him  for  a  long 
time.  Then  he  told  a  pitiful  story  of  a  sick 
wife  and  children,  and  of  other  sorrows  and  af- 
flictions, which  he  fancied  would  aid  him  in 

183 


making  an  impression  and  in  securing  the 
money  he  wanted  to  collect.  My  wife  and  her 
mother  gave  him  quite  a  sum,  and  promised 
him  some  old  clothing  the  day  following  if 
he  would  call  for  them.  That  evening  we 
went  to  Mr.  Hackes'  house,  and  he  also,  it 
seemed,  had  been  favored  by  a  visit  from  Mr. 
Small,  who  entered  his  office  smoking  a  fine 
Havana  cigar,  and  bragged  of  his  success  in 
gaining  all  he  required  for  his  immediate  use. 
Mr.  Hackes  told  his  mother  that  she  had  been 
duped  by  this  rascally  fraud.  She  kept  quiet, 
however,  fully  convinced  that  he  would  return 
the  next  day  for  the  garments.  When  he  put 
in  his  appearance,  as  she  had  anticipated,  with 
some  horrible  additions  to  his  previous  story, 
she  made  good  use  of  the  broom  that  she  had 
purposely  placed  in  a  convenient  position,  so  he 
departed,  not  quite  so  well  satisfied  with  his  re- 
ception as  he  had  been  on  the  former  occasion, 
and  totally  disinclined  to  publicly  boast  of  the 
broomstick  so  successfully  brought  into  req- 
uisition. From  this  time  forward,  he  no  longer 
counted  my  wife  or  mother-in-law  among  his 
patrons. 

While  perfectly  aware  of  his  shortcomings,  I 
nevertheless  contributed  to  his  support,  by  giv- 
ing him  a  yearly  amount,  for  which  he  gave  a 

184 


receipt  as  per  contract,  keeping  his  accounts  as 
well  balanced  as  if  he  was  a  book-keeper  in  a 
regular  legitimate  business.  What  became  of 
him  later  on  in  life  I  have  never  ascertained,  as 
he  never  sought  me  out;  but  when  I  knew 
him,  he  was  a  young  man  with  many  years  ap- 
parently before  him  in  which  to  continue  this 
idle,  wretched  calling  which  he  had  adopted. 
He  always  dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion,  and 
lived  on  the  fat  of  the  land.  His  good  educa- 
tion served  him  only  to  carry  out  more  success- 
fully his  fraudulent  practices  and  impositions. 

A  short  time  before  our  national  trials  began, 
I  recommended  a  friend  to  a  New  York  busi- 
ness house,  which,  on  account  of  my  introduc- 
tion, sold  this  person  a  large  amount  of  goods. 
When  the  war  opened,  this  friend,  who  also 
owed  me  a  large  sum,  made  an  assignment,  pre- 
ferring me  and  a  few  other  confidentials,  and 
there  was  little  or  nothing  left  for  the  other 
creditors.  The  house  to  which  I  had  recom- 
mended him  placed  their  claim  in  my  hands,  to 
do  as  I  considered  proper  about  settlement. 
They  repeatedly  asked  me  to  arrange  a  settle- 
ment for  10%  of  their  claim,  as  they  under- 
stood that  others  had  received  that  proportion 
of  the  sums  due  them.  I  paid  them  100  cents 
on  the  dollar,  which  thev  did  not  want  to  accept 

185 


until  I  assured  them  that  my  friends  would  not 
let  me  lose  it.  By  so  doing,  I  left  no  doubt  in  the 
minds  of  the  New  York  house  as  to  the  person 
I  had  introduced  to  them,  and  my  sincerity  to- 
ward them.  Later  on  my  friend  paid  all  his 
creditors  in  full  with  interest.  He  afterward 
became  the  recipient  of  a  silver  service  from 
the  creditors,  presented  at  Delmonico's. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war,  I  came  East  to 
buy  anything  that  I  could  find  which  I  consid- 
ered cheap.  Wood  Bros.,  a  house  with  which 
I  had  not  dealt  before,  offered  to  sell  me,  if  my 
memory  serves  me  rightly,  100  to  150  cases  of 
Negro  Twilled  Kerseys,  at  about  the  same  price 
which  I  had  paid  for  years — ioJ/2  cents  per 
yard,  cash  on  delivery.  After  I  had  bought 
them,  I  sent  about  10  cases  for  examination  as 
to  measurement,  condition,  etc.,  etc.,  as  the 
understanding  was  there  would  be  no  allow- 
ance made  after  they  were  paid  for.  After 
some  delay,  they  were  reported  to  be  O.  K. 
Mr.  Turnbull,  who  lived  right  opposite,  called 
on  me  and  bitterly  complained  that  I  had  not 
looked  about  before  I  made  such  a  large  pur- 
chase, as  he  also  had  a  quantity  of  the  same 
kind  of  goods  which  he  would  gladly  have  sold 
me.  I  then  bought  what  he  had  at  60  days  in 
place  of  cash.    Rice,  Chase  &  Co.,  who  had 

186 


some  of  the  same  kind  of  goods,  only  white  in- 
stead of  colored,  even  more  desirable  on  this 
account,  sold  me  theirs,  also  on  four  months, 
at  the  same  price.  I  had  the  entire  quantity 
shipped  from  Baltimore,  where  they  were,  and 
wrote  home  that  they  should  not  sell  them  un- 
less they  brought  15  cents  a  yard.  At  this 
price  the  market  for  them  was  quite  slow  at 
first,  but  very  soon  they  brought  from  17^/2  to 
20  cents.  Part  of  the  lot  sold  for  as  much  as 
45  cents,  and  a  few  even  at  50  cents.  A  specu- 
lator then  bought  50  cases  from  us  at  about  a 
cent  below  the  price  at  which  we  sold  them 
regularly.  They  were  sold  to  him  cash  on 
delivery.  Shortly  after  this,  new  goods  were 
brought  into  the  market  and  were  sold  for 
less  money,  which  proved  the  wisdom  of  dis- 
posing of  those  we  had  on  hand. 

While  journeying  from  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia to  the  West,  I  traveled  in  a  sleeping 
car  for  the  first  time.  My  wife's  sister, 
Louisa,  and  one  of  my  children  were  with  me. 
We  were  encumbered  with  rather  more  than 
the  usual  amount  of  hand  baggage.  The 
porter  of  the  sleeping  car  demanded  that  every 
one  of  these  packages  must  be  checked.  Now 
as  far  as  I  was  concerned,  I  was  only  too  will- 
ing that  this  should  be  done  with  all  save  a 

187 


satchel  which  contained  my  lunch,  and  a  flask 
of  particularly  nice  whiskey.  When  I  ob- 
jected, the  porter  called  in  the  conductor,  who 
also  insisted,  but  I  declined  to  accede.  While 
we  were  yet  arguing  the  matter,  another  con- 
ductor and  the  superintendent  of  the  western 
division  came  around,  and  told  me  I  must 
either  obey  their  rules  or  leave  the  car.  I  re- 
mained firm,  persisting  that  they  had  no  such 
rights,  but  if  they  chose,  they  might  put  me 
out  with  my  boy  and  sister-in-law,  but  that  I 
would  hold  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  Com- 
pany responsible  for  their  unlawful  action  in 
heavy  damages.  I  put  the  case  to  the  super- 
intendent of  the  western  division  as  follows: 
"Suppose  that  this  satchel  in  dispute  contained 
bonds  or  other  articles  of  great  value,  will  the 
company  hold  themselves  liable  in  case  of  a 
loss,  in  consideration  of  the  quarter  of  a 
dollar  they  charge?"  After  my  return,  I 
took  a  check  which  I  had  retained,  and  inquired 
at  the  office  of  the  company  whether  the  ac- 
tion of  the  superintendent  and  his  subordi- 
nates had  been  done  in  accordance  with  their 
orders.  The  ticket  agent  desired  me  to  hand 
in  my  complaint — which  I  declined  to  do. 
Nevertheless,  my  words  must  have  been  re- 
ported, for  I  have  never  seen  a  check  with  a 

188 


stamp  calling  for  the  payment  of  25  cents  in 
each  instance  since  this  unpleasant  experience. 

In  the  days  when  charity  was  being  solicited 
for  the  wives  and  children  of  our  soldiers,  some 
of  my  brother  merchants  called  to  see  me,  and 
complained  that  one  of  my  partners  had  not  re- 
sponded in  such  an  amount  as  it  was  supposed 
he  was  able  to  contribute.  They  hoped  that 
I  would  increase  this  donation.  I  at  once 
declined  to  interfere,  but  promised  that  I  would 
make  good  the  deficiency  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity which  offered  itself.  Subsequently,  a 
lady  in  a  carriage  called  at  the  store  and  asked 
to  see  one  of  the  firm.  I  told  her  that  I  was 
one  of  its  members.  She  then  handed  me  a 
small  subscription  book  with  various  sums 
promised,  none  of  which  exceeded  five  dollars. 
I  signed  on  the  proper  line  and  subscribed 
$100.  Any  book-keeper  would  have  under- 
stood the  figures.  I  told  her  to  let  the  com- 
mittee collect  it.  The  lady,  whom  I  did  not 
know  as  she  failed  to  introduce  herself,  was 
Mrs.  Pendleton,  and  she  felt  insulted  and  told 
her  husband  about  it,  and  he  reported  our  in- 
terview to  the  dry-goods  committee,  of  which 
he  was  one  of  the  officers.  He  objected  to  my 
audacity  very  strongly  in  telling  Mrs.  Pendle- 
ton to  have  the  committe  collect  the  $1  which 

189 


I  had  signed  as  a  contribution.  The  subscrip- 
tion book  was  then  shown  to  establish  the 
amount  of  my  contribution,  when  one  of  the 
members  on  looking  at  it,  remarked,  "  Gentle- 
men, this  does  not  mean  $1.00;  it  means 
$100,  as  it  here  appears."  Mr.  George  Mc- 
Alpine  and  Mr.  Pendleton  were  then  appointed 
to  call  on  Louis  Stix  &  Co.  to  collect  the 
amount  therein  mentioned.  Mr.  McAlpine 
met  me  and  said,  "Will  you  please  pay  your 
subscription?"  and  added,  "Why  did  you  re- 
quest that  the  committee  call  personally  to 
collect  it?  Do  you  think  yourself  so  much 
better  than  the  rest?"  I  excused  myself  on 
the  ground  that  I  did  not  know  the  lady,  and 
my  contribution  being  $100,  I  thought  she 
would  be  pleased,  rather  than  dissatisfied. 
Mr.  Pendleton,  who  afterwards  ran  for  the 
Presidency,  was  then  presented  as  the  husband 
of  the  lady  who  had  called  upon  me.  He  very 
warmly  thanked  me  for  what  I  had  done,  fear- 
ing his  wife  had  failed  to  do  so,  having  been 
under  the  impression  that  the  amount  I  had 
promised  was  but  a  dollar,  and  that  the  com- 
mittee must  come  for  it.  I  afterward  met 
Mrs.  Pendleton  at  a  fair,  and  she  expressed 
her  personal  gratification  to  me. 

My  services  in  the  charitable  line  during 
190 


the  war  were  also  on  one  occasion  enlisted  by 
Mrs.  Stallo,  who  called  upon  me  to  accompany 
her,  while  collecting  for  some  charitable  pur- 
pose. Among  those  to  whom  an  appeal  was 
made  was  Messrs.  Glasser  Bros.  When  Mrs. 
Stallo,  in  conversation,  mentioned  the  Union 
army,  the  eldest  member  of  the  firm  became 
quite  indignant,  and  used  very  ungentlemanly 
language.  He  acted  the  rebel  to  perfection, 
and  no  doubt  was  one  at  heart.  After  this 
disagreeable  experience,  I  met  him  in  the  even- 
ing at  Glassner's  beer  saloon  and  called  him  to 
account  for  his  unwarrantable  remarks.  He 
became  so  thoroughly  enraged  at  my  criti- 
cisms that  his  excitement  completely  overcame 
his  prudence,  and  he  appeared  in  his  true 
colors.  He  threw  a  glass  of  beer  at  me,  which 
roused  my  indignation,  and  our  friends  felt 
that  the  action  was  uncalled  for,  and  inter- 
fered, and  kept  us  from  disturbing  the  guests 
any  further.  In  the  morning  Judge  Stallo 
saw  me  and  begged  me  to  drop  the  case,  and 
not  drag  Mrs.  Stallo  into  public  notice  through 
the  press.  As  in  duty  bound,  I  was  obliged 
to  yield  to  the  Judge's  appeal,  and  refrain  from 
further  action.  I  could  not  go  in  direct  op- 
position to  my  friend's  wishes,  especially  as 
they  concerned  his  wife's  comfort  and  prefer- 

191 


ences.  Many  pleasant  evenings  have  I  spent 
in  the  society  of  the  Stallos  at  their  home  On 
one  occasion  I  remained  until  midnight,  mak- 
ing them  a  farewell  visit  before  the  Judge's 
departure  for  Italy,  to  which  country  he  went 
as  minister  from  the  United  States.  They 
afterward  called  upon  us  in  New  York,  but  we 
were  then  away  at  Saratoga,  and  missed  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  them  and  entertaining 
them  at  our  house.  For  many  years  we  have 
been  friends.  When  I  was  engaged  in  the 
retail  dry-goods  business  on  Fifth  Street,  Mrs. 
Stallo  always  patronized  us,  and  bought  every 
penny's  worth  of  goods  she  could  at  our  store, 
giving  me  almost  her  exclusive  custom. 

It  was  at  this  stage  of  my  life  that,  after 
being  away  for  weeks,  expecting  my  stock  to 
be  considerably  increased  by  my  eastern  pur- 
chases, I  returned  and  found  instead  of  this, 
that,  even  including  the  goods  on  the  way,  it 
was  still  diminished,  so  that  I  found  it  neces- 
sary to  return  to  the  East  the  day  following. 
Then,  because  my  part  of  the  business  required 
so  much  attendance  in  New  York,  I  decided  to 
move  there  permanently  with  my  family,  as  for 
fully  three-fourths  of  the  year,  as  things  stood, 
I  was  obliged  to  be  away  from  them.  At  first, 
my  partner,   Mr.   Swarts,  objected  to  this 

192 


change,  but  he  soon  saw  the  justice  of  my  reso- 
lution. 

When  I  left  Cincinnati,  our  employees  pre- 
sented me  with  a  gold  headed  cane,  accom- 
panied by  some  flattering  remarks.  Whether 
deserved  or  not,  I  appreciated  it  all  very  highly. 
After  I  had  been  living  in  New  York  some 
time,  some  of  the  young  men,  and  others  whom 
we  had  assisted  when  they  started  in  business, 
felt  themselves  quite  rich  and  under  obliga- 
tions, so  they  proposed  to  buy  me  a  Fifth  Av- 
enue residence  as  a  testimonial  of  apprecia- 
tion. I  declined,  with  the  promise  that  on  the 
anniversary  of  my  golden  wedding  I  would  ac- 
cept anything  in  accordance  with  their  means. 
On  my  silver  wedding  anniversary  I  received, 
as  a  most  courteous  recognition,  a  silver  serv- 
ice, and  other  beautiful  presents.  As  to  the 
Fifth  Avenue  house,  I  did  not  calculate  on  the 
advance  of  property,  and  that  may  be  an  ob- 
stacle when  the  time  comes. 

In  contrast  with  these  pleasant  experiences 
with  my  clerks,  I  had  one  that  was  not  quite 
so  agreeable.  We  had  set  up  two  of  our  clerks 
in  trade  and  lost,  by  doing  so,  about  $20,000. 
They  proposed  to  pay  it  all  back  to  the  last 
cent,  with  the  proviso  that  we  should  buy  them 
out,  either  for  cash  or  on  time.    As  I  was 

193 


aware  that  they  wanted  our  assistance  to  rob 
all  their  creditors,  we  refused.  Shortly  after, 
one  of  them  called  on  me  for  a  loan  of  $500. 
1  would  not  consent  to  let  him  have  that 
amount,  so  he  drew  his  pistol  in  my  basement 
and  threatened  to  shoot  me.  I  opened  my 
vest,  showed  no  fear,  and  told  him  to  do  so. 
Thus  unopposed,  he  lost  his  courage  and  did 
nothing.  Again  he  called  for  a  small  sum, 
claiming  he  needed  food.  He  had  very  rich 
and  liberal  relatives  who,  had  he  been  worthy, 
would  gladly  have  assisted  him,  and  to  whom 
he  could  have  been  of  great  service.  They 
however  remarked  to  me,  "It  is  not  in  him  to 
do  the  right  thing,  so  he  cannot  be  helped/' 
Notwithstanding,  I  assisted  him  at  this  time, 
and  kept  his  family  and  himself  from  starv- 
ing. 

'  Mrs.  Hackes,  my  wife's  mother,  made  her 
home  with  us  shortly  after  landing  in  America, 
which  made  it  very  pleasant  for  my  wife,  as 
I  was  obliged  to  be  away  from  home  so  much. 
The  little  house  which  I  bought  became  too 
small  to  accommodate  us,  and  I  spent  about  as 
much  money  to  enlarge  the  premises  as  I  had 
originally  expended  for  the  house  and  ground. 
W e  thus  made  room  for  one  or  two  young  men 
in  our  employ.    The  spot  upon  which  this 

194 


house  stood  is  to-day  the  main  entrance  of 
Shillito's  store.  On  account  of  some  difficulty 
with  my  neighbor  in  the  rear,  I  proposed  to 
buy  his  property,  knowing  he  was  anxious  to 
sell.  I  suggested  that  two  impartial  real 
estate  men,  one  chosen  by  himself,  and  the 
other  selected  by  me,  should  decide  upon  the 
value  of  the  property,  and  in  case  of  their  dis- 
agreement on  its  value,  a  third  party  should 
be  consulted  and  decide,  and  that  I  would  pay 
him  10%  more  than  such  valuation.  Notwith- 
standing this  more  than  fair  proposition,  the 
owner  preferred  to  sell  the  house  at  auction 
rather  than  give  me  any  advantage  in  secur- 
ing it.  I  had  a  man  there  to  buy  it  at  almost 
any  price  in  reason.  He  bid  50%  more  than 
it  was  worth,  and  still  a  higher  amount  was 
offered.  The  house  was  not  sold.  Next  day 
a  broker  came  to  me  asking  considerably  less 
than  I  had  bid,  but  I  had  then  made  up  my 
mind  to  sell  my  own  house  and  move  to  New 
York  instead  of  buying,  which  decision  I  have 
never  regretted  to  this  day;  for  although  I  was 
separated  from  those  I  held  very  dear,  yet  I 
have  advanced  the  interests  of  my  immediate 
family  by  the  change,  and  the  marriages  con- 
tracted here  have  surely  satisfied  me.  I,  ac- 
cording to  this  resolution,  sold  my  house  for 

195 


less  than  cost.  Shortly  after,  it  brought  treble 
the  amount,  and  to-day  it  would  bring  a  larger 
advance,  if  it  was  not  included  in  Shillito's 
store. 

A  few  weeks  before  we  were  ready  to  move, 
I  was  taxed  on  personal  property  of  the  as- 
sessed valuation  of  $5,000.  The  assessor  had 
an  old  grudge  against  me  for  refusing  him 
credit  some  years  previous  when  he  was  in  the 
dry  goods  business,  in  which  he  failed  very 
shortly  after  I  had  denied  him  credit,  and  he 
took  this  opportunity  to  retaliate.  I  refused  to 
be  thus  blackmailed.  I  appealed  to  the  court 
for  redress  and  offered  to  sell  out  at  one-quar- 
ter the  amount  at  which  I  was  assessed.  The 
judge  called  in  the  assessor  and  lectured  him 
severely,  and  the  latter  was  then  satisfied  to 
leave  the  matter  to  me  to  decide  upon  the 
amount  to  be  paid.  I  told  the  judge  I  was 
perfectly  willing  to  do  what  was  right,  and 
that  in  a  very  few  weeks  I  would  hand  the 
keys  of  my  house  to  my  father,  to  distribute 
my  household  effects  to  the  poor  as  he  might 
think  best,  save  our  wedding  presents,  linen, 
personal  apparel  and  belongings.  This  offer 
was  accepted  and  carried  out.  We  took  with 
us  only  the  furniture  in  the  parlor  and  sitting- 
room  floors,  some  pictures,  ornaments,  bric-a- 

196 


brae  and  silver-ware.  There  is  but  one  room 
in  our  present  home  to-day  where  can  be  found 
any  of  our  household  furniture  in  use  before. 
It  seemed  a  pleasant  duty  to  give  to  the  poor 
all  that  we  did  not  care  to  remove. 

As  already  stated,  I  was  obliged  to  com- 
promise in  1850,  through  no  fault  of  mine, 
with  the  creditors  of  Stix  &  Wallach,  and  ob- 
tained receipts  in  full  from  all  of  them. 
Nevertheless,  I  considered  myself  still  in  debt 
for  my  share  of  what  would  have  been  pay- 
ment in  full.  On  my  way  from  New  York  to 
Cincinnati  in  1863,  I  hinted  to  Mr.  James  Low- 
man,  whom  I  met,  my  hope  and  intention  of 
some  day  being  able  to  make  this  payment. 
While  he  thought  it  an  excellent,  praiseworthy 
action,  he  did  not  agree  with  me  entirely  and 
remarked,  "Your  debts  are  now  wiped  out. 
The  moment  you  again  open  your  door  and 
say  that  you  feel  that  you  owe  any  part  morally, 
you  owe  none  or  all;  Wallach's,  as  well  as  your 
own.  Your  creditors  will  thank  you  as  you 
are  released  by  law.  Yet  the  moral  obligation 
cannot  be  fully  canceled,  as  I  think,  unless  you 
pay  his  half  also.  In  discharging  your  own 
share  alone  you  have  but  accomplished  a  part 
of  your  object.  All  or  none,  I  would  advise, 
and  I  am  satisfied  if  you  think  it  over  you 

197 


will  come  to  this  conclusion  also/'  After  due 
consideration,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  to  take 
my  friend's  advice.  I  let  the  matter  rest  for 
a  while,  not  feeling  that  I  was  then  fully  pre- 
pared to  accomplish  that  which  I  had  made  up 
my  mind  to  carry  into  effect  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. Again  the  same  friend  met  me  acci- 
dentally on  the  car,  and  our  conversation 
naturally  turned  upon  the  old  subject.  He  felt 
convinced  that  I  too  had  adopted  his  theory. 
The  question  arose  as  to  interest  which  had  ac- 
cumulated during  13  years.  We  came  to  the 
same  conclusion.  There  was  but  one  thing 
to  be  done,  pay  up  all  with  interest.  During 
this  long  interval  quite  a  good  many  of  our 
creditors  had  become  poor,  and  knowing  this, 
I  had  long  before  paid  them  up  in  full.  One 
house,  whose  partners  had  been  born  and  bred 
in  the  same  village  with  myself,  I  had  never 
asked  to  accept  the  compromise.  In  place  of 
their  Stix  &  Wallach  notes,  I  had  given  them 
personal  ones,  with  the  understanding  that 
the  first  $800,  due  in  60  days,  they  could 
collect  through  the  bank.  The  other  note  of 
the  same  amount  they  were  to  hold,  and  the 
first  money  I  secured  after  my  compromised 
debts  were  paid  was  to  be  appropriated  to  pay- 
ing such  second  note.    They  forgot  this  ar- 

198 


rangement,  and  the  second  note  was  collected 
just  as  the  first  had  been,  without  considering 
my  ability  to  meet  it.  However,  it  was  made 
good,  and  I  was  satisfied  to  discharge  the  in- 
debtedness. 

After  I  had  paid  all  the  creditors  of  Stix  & 
YVallach  in  full,  with  interest,  they  held  a 
number  of  meetings  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
senting me  with  a  silver  service.  Mr.  Powler, 
who  presided,  lost  his  life  in  a  carriage  acci- 
dent and  so  the  whole  idea  was  abandoned. 
Mr.  Wm.  P.  Devoe,  not  satisfied  that  there 
should  be  no  recognition  of  my  act,  surprised 
me  with  a  token  on  his  own  account.  He  pre- 
sented me  with  a  silver  pitcher  and  two  goblets, 
bearing  this  inscription: 

"January  4th,  1864.  From  W.  P.  D.  'A  good  man 
leaveth  an  inheritance  to  his  children's  children.' 
Proverbs  XIII-22." 

I  value  this  beautiful  and  unique  gift  to  the 
writer  from  his  friend  and  fellow  merchant 
very  highly,  and  esteem  it,  independently  of 
all  other  reasons,  on  account  of  the  source  from 
which  it  came  and  the  motives  which  dictated 
its  presentation. 

When  I  addressed  the  Xew  York  house  of 
J.  D.  Walter  &  Co.  for  particulars  of  our  in- 
debtedness to  them  at  the  time  we  failed,  ask- 

199 


ing  for  the  names  of  the  partners  and  the 
interest  each  one  had  had  in  the  business,  Mr. 
J.  D.  Walter  objected  to  answering  any  of  my 
questions.  He  heard  that  I  was  paying  our 
compromised  debts  and  he  claimed  I  should 
send  my  check  payable  to  J.  D.  Walter  &  Co., 
and  that  that  was  all  that  was  necessary.  By 
doing  as  he  requested,  he  would  have  gotten 
the  whole,  and  his  partner,  who  sold  him  the 
books,  and  who,  in  his  estimation,  had  no  claim 
whatever,  would  have  gotten  nothing.  But 
that  was  not  in  accordance  with  my  idea  of 
honor,  as  he  had  paid  nothing  for  my  account 
which  I  owed  the  firm.  I  therefore  sent  to 
each  partner  of  the  old  firm  his  respective 
share  of  the  loss  sustained  on  account  of  my 
inability  to  make  payment  at  the  time  the  old 
firm  had  existed.  This  I  considered  the  only 
correct  way. 

For  years  I  had  been  expecting  to  pay  all 
my  creditors  in  full.  It  was  only  a  question 
with  me  whether  I  should  pay  for  Wallach  as 
well.  I  also  wanted  to  choose  a  time  to  pay 
interest  when  it  would  not  be  regarded  as  an 
attempt  to  secure  further  credit;  my  position 
then  being  thoroughly  established  as  to  my 
ability  to  meet  every  obligation,  present  as  well 
as  past.    I  kept  a  large  amount  of  money  in 

200 


Cincinnati,  and  on  January  4th,  1864,  I  had  the 
bookkeeper  look  over  the  accounts  early  that 
morning  and  calculated  the  interest  due  each 
creditor,  and  about  the  time  when  I  knew  each 
would  be  in,  I  hired  a  number  of  boys  to  take 
my  checks  out,  so  that  nearly  every  merchant 
in  Cincinnati  with  whom  I  had  compromised, 
received  his  check  for  the  full  amount  by 
special  messenger  about  the  same  time.  It  so 
happened  that  I  met  my  father  at  my  sister's 
house  where  some  joyful  event  was  being  cele- 
brated, and  father  found  some  fault  because  I 
had  not  paid  my  sister  the  attention  he  thought 
the  occasion  required.  I  do  not  remember  the 
cause  of  celebration.  I  told  him  just  what  I 
had  accomplished,  and  that  our  store  was 
crowded  with  friends,  who  came  in  to  con- 
gratulate me  upon  paying  my  old  debts. 
Thereupon  my  father  made  the  lovely  remark, 
"You  have  indeed  done  well,  and  your  noble 
conduct  will  be  your  reward  throughout  all 
your  life,  and  as  for  your  parents,  this  is  the 
proudest  and  happiest  day  we  have  ever  ex- 
perienced in  our  whole  lives."  Father's  ap- 
probation was  enough  to  repay  me  for  every 
effort  I  had  made  in  acting  as  I  had,  aside 
from  the  clear  conscience  resulting  from  just 
dealing,  and  the  pleasure  bestowed  in  giving 

201 


this  surprise  to  my  creditors,  who  had  made 
me  free  legally  from  any  pecuniary  obligations 
years  before.  It  was  indeed  a  happy  time, 
never  to  be  forgotten,  as  my  father  predicted 
when  extending  to  me  his  congratulations,  and 
expressing  his  much  treasured  sentiments  upon 
the  happy  result. 

In  thus  paying  my  debts,  not  really  existing 
according  to  law,  but  in  my  humble  opinion,  not 
less  honestly  due  to  my  creditors,  I  discharged 
several  obligations  due  to  widows.  Among 
them  was  a  Mrs.  T.  O'Shaunessey,  whose  hus- 
band had  at  one  time  been  in  the  auction  busi- 
ness. He  was  considered  rich,  and  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  successful  men  in  his 
special  line  in  the  West  during  the  panic. 
His  loss  on  his  customers  must  have  been  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars.  His  widow, 
who  once  enjoyed  every  luxury  that  wealth 
could  provide  for  her,  was  now  obliged  to  work 
very  hard  with  her  own  hands  to  support  her 
family.  When  she  received  my  check  which 
was  for  quite  a  large  amount,  because  two  of 
her  husband's  partners  had  assigned  their 
share  to  her,  she  felt  extremely  grateful  for 
this  totally  unexpected  good  fortune,  and  in 
her  letter  of  acknowledgment  wrote  me  that 
it  was  a  perfect  godsend  to  her,  and  the  only 

202 


amount  she  had  ever  received  since  her  hus- 
band's estate  had  been  closed.  She  hoped  if 
her  sons  should  ever  be  unfortunate  in  busi- 
ness that  they  would  follow  my  example,  if 
circumstances  ever  permitted  them  to  do  so. 

There  was  also  another  widow  to  whom  I 
desired  to  pay  a  certain  sum  of  money  for 
which  I  considered  myself  morally  responsible. 
On  consulting  a  friend  of  mine,  who  was  the 
guardian  and  administrator  of  the  estate,  he 
advised  me  not  to  pay  the  amount  directly  to 
the  widow,  who  was  not  of  a  very  saving  or 
prudent  disposition,  but  to  deposit  the  sum  with 
him  in  trust  for  the  children.  To  this  ar- 
rangement the  mother  naturally  objected, 
claiming  that  she  was  the  legal  custodian  of 
her  children.  However,  the  disposition  of  the 
money  was  finally  left  to  me,  and  after  thor- 
ough investigation,  my  decision  was,  of  course, 
not  given  in  her  favor. 

The  desire  to  possess  a  home  is  to  my  mind 
one  of  the  strongest  evidences  of  moral  re- 
spectability. It  is  a  desire  common  alike  to 
the  millionaire  and  to  the  laboring  man.  As 
regards  my  own  experience  in  this  respect, 
varied  by  alternate  periods  of  commercial  ele- 
vation and  depression  during  my  first  ten 
years  in  America,  it  was  not  until  the  year 

203 


1852  that  I  succeeded  in  purchasing  a  residence 
which  I  could  fairly  call  my  own.  A  decade 
later,  in  1863,  we  bought  the  ground  on  Third 
Street,  Cincinnati,  where  we  afterwards  built 
our  own  business  house,  which  we  still  occupy. 
In  the  year  1864,  I  secured  the  house  246  West 
Fourteenth  Street,  New  York,  as  a  residence 
for  my  family.  As  this  was  intended  for  our 
permanent  home,  I  felt  that  it  was  only  right 
to  give  it  to  my  wife,  so  the  deeds  were  made 
out  in  her  name.  She  was  kind  enough  to  let 
me  live  there  rent  free  during  the  quarter  of 
a  century  we  occupied  it.  Here  we  continued 
to  reside  from  1865  to  the  year  1890.  The 
only  exception  to  owning  the  roof  that  shel- 
tered us  during  our  sojourn  in  this  city, 
covered  a  period  of  two  years.  When  we  first 
moved  to  New  York  City  we  rented  a  house 
in  23rd  street,  which  singularly  enough  oc- 
cupied the  same  relative  position  as  that  of  our 
home  situated  on  14th  street.  The  rental  dur- 
ing this  period  was  $1,000  annually.  All  of 
which  goes  to  prove  that  my  nature  is  essen- 
tially a  domestic  one,  which  desires,  like  the 
patriarchs  of  old,  to  dwell  beneath  my  own 
vine  and  fig-tree.  If  there  is  any  lesson  to  be 
deduced  from  these  memories,  it  is  this:  that 
a  man  is  never  so  happy  or  properly  placed, 

204 


246  WEST  14th  STREET 

AS   IT  IS  TO-DAY 


as  when  seated  by  his  own  hearthstone,  and 
surrounded  by  those  to  whom  he  is  bound  by 
the  tenderest  ties  of  consanguinity.  This  is 
especially  true  of  the  business  man  who  should 
find  in  the  safe  harbor  of  home  a  refuge  from 
the  storms  and  bufTetings  attendant  upon  com- 
mercial life. 

With  the  exception  of  the  two  years  that  we 
lived  in  the  third  story  over  the  Fifth  Street 
store,  we  had  occupied  our  own  private  house 
until  we  came  to  New  York  and  rented  the 
house  on  23rd  street.  After  buying  the  house 
on  14th  street,  I  also  agreed  to  purchase  the 
house  in  which  we  had  been  living  on  23rd 
street  for  $19,000.  Unfortunately  no  writ- 
ings were  drawn  and  no  money  had  as  yet  been 
paid  down,  when  the  agent  in  whose  hands  it 
had  been  placed  for  sale,  found  a  purchaser  at 
$20,000.  A  contract  had  been  signed  by  the 
parties,  so  I  lost  the  best  thing  I  had  ever 
planned  to  buy.  In  a  short  time  it  was  leased 
for  $3,000  and  would  have  brought  $4,000. 
We  enjoyed  good  health  and  many  pleasant 
years  while  living  at  246  West  14th  Street. 
The  neighborhood,  however,  degenerated,  and 
we  intended  moving  somewhere  near  Central 
Park  as  soon  as  we  could  determine  upon  a  suit- 
able locality.    By  the  advice  of  our  doctor  we 

205 


delayed  making  any  change  for  some  time 
after  we  had  come  to  the  conclusion  to  do  so. 
He  cautioned  us  against  settling  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  city,  lest  we  become  subject  to 
malarial  fever  and  other  troubles,  incident  to 
a  new  section.  In  1890,  after  months  of 
searching,  we  started  out  to  rent  on  the  east 
side  in  the  region  between  60th  and  80th 
streets.  We  found  nothing  to  suit  us  in  this 
vicinity,  as  we  did  not  want  to  exceed  the  price 
for  which  we  had  rented  the  14th  street  house 
— $2,000.  When  we  left  it,  we  spent  about 
$2,000  upon  it,  putting  it  in  apple-pie  order 
for  a  boarding  house;  about  the  only  purpose 
for  which  it  could  be  rented  at  a  fair  price.  I 
offered  to  sell  it  for  $30,000,  but  received  a 
proposition  for  $25,000.  In  1892,  a  party  who 
leased  two  or  three  houses  adjoining  offered 
$2,000  rent  for  21  years  clear.  Finding  in 
our  search  for  a  new  home  on  the  east  side 
that  we  could  not  get  suited,  we  looked  around 
on  the  west  side  with  no  better  success,  as  all 
the  houses  to  which  we  took  a  fancy  were  not 
for  sale.  When  we  saw  our  present  residence 
No.  35  West  71st  Street,  my  wife  and  children 
liked  it  so  much  that  they  were  anxious  to 
secure  it.  My  wife  could  neither  eat  nor  sleep, 
fearing  that  we  would  lose  the  opportunity  to 

206 


35  WEST  7  1st  STREET 


buy  it,  as  the  broker  reported  two  other  parties 
were  negotiating  for  its  purchase.  This  pos- 
sibility caused  considerable  excitement,  as  we 
wanted  the  house.  I  have  been  assured  that 
if  I  had  not  secured  it  at  once.  I  could  not  have 
bought  it.  I  paid  all  it  was  worth.  834,500 
and  spent  $4,000  for  papering,  gas  fixtures, 
etc.  We  furnished  the  house  anew  from  top 
to  bottom,  excepting  my  sitting  room  where  I 
spend  my  days  and  evenings.  The  14th  street 
house  was  25  feet  wide  and  65  feet  deep,  but 
our  present  home  is  only  18  x  65  feet,  yet  it 
surpasses  our  old  residence  in  every  respect, 
and  I  would  not  know  how  to  improve  it  if  I 
had  a  million  to  expend.  When  we  moved 
from  Cincinnati,  as  before  mentioned,  we  gave 
away  all  our  furniture,  bringing  with  us  only 
clothing,  linen  and  silver,  also  wedding  and 
other  presents.  In  leaving  14th  street  we  fol- 
lowed the  same  plan,  keeping  the  extension 
room  furniture  only,  and  donating  all  the 
remainder  to  the  poor  and  to  the  United 
Charities. 

We  have  now  become  Americanized  and  have 
learned  how  to  spend  in  a  month  what  we  once 
found  quite  sufficient  for  our  yearly  require- 
ments. If  we  have  ever  learned  anything  to 
perfection,  we  have  thoroughly  acquired  the 

207 


knowledge  of  expenditure;  but  we  are  not 
more  extravagant  than  our  friends  trained  in 
the  same  old  school.  My  wife  receives  an  al- 
lowance of  $6,000  a  year,  which  is  readily  dis- 
posed of,  although  she  pays  no  rent  or  large 
dry  goods  or  coal  bills.  My  expenditure  is 
about  double  that  of  hers,  while  my  personal 
expenses  do  not  exceed  $250  a  year;  the  bal- 
ance is  devoted  to  charities,  wedding  presents 
and  birthday  gifts.  I  often  hear  the  conjugal 
admonition  repeated,  "Give  what  you  consider 
right  while  you  live,  as  if  anything  is  left  after 
we  are  gone  we  certainly  will  get  no  thanks 
for  it."  We  were  never  rich,  nor  are  we  to- 
day, but  our  means  are  adequate  to  supply  our 
wants.  When  we  consider  it  advisable  we 
help  our  children,  assisting  them  moderately 
to  such  an  extent  as  seems  conducive  to  their 
benefit. 

After  I  had  bought  the  house  at  246  West 
14th  Street  and  presented  it  to  my  wife,  we 
invited  her  dear  mother  to  go  and  see  it,  but, 
although  deeply  interested  in  all  that  pertained 
to  the  welfare  of  her  children,  she  unexpectedly 
declined,  remarking,  "I  shall  never  expect  to 
live  in  it."  At  that  time  she  apparently  en- 
joyed excellent  health,  and  appeared  perfectly 
well,  as  far  as  we  could  observe.  Shortly 

208 


after,  however,  she  took  sick,  and  died  in  a 
few  days,  at  the  age  of  65.  She  was  highly 
intelligent,  and  was  beloved  by  all,  and  fairly 
worshipped  by  her  children.  Her  husband 
was  an  invalid  for  many  years,  and,  in  conse- 
quence, she  supported  and  educated  her  chil- 
dren by  collecting  toll.  She  was  obliged  to  be 
upon  her  feet  day  and  night,  which  was  ex- 
ceedingly trying;  yet  notwithstanding  these 
severe  requirements,  she  was  ever  a  model  of 
kindness,  peace  and  love.  Harmony  and  hap- 
piness naturally  resulted  from  these  charming 
qualities  she  possessed  so  abundantly.  While 
charitably  inclined,  she  was  not  easily  deceived. 
Books  were  her  constant  friends.  In  spite  of 
her  laborious  tasks,  she  would  travel  many 
miles  on  foot,  or  by  conveyance,  to  hear  an 
opera.  She  knew  whole  passages  of  Schiller, 
and  declaimed  them  from  memory  more  beauti- 
fully than  I  have  ever  heard  any  one  do  at  her 
age. 

The  family  named  Simon  that  had  occupied 
this  house  I  purchased  on  14th  street,  told 
me  that  they  did  not  begrudge  me  its  posses- 
sion, on  account  of  the  disagreeable  neighbor 
I  would  have.  I,  accordingly,  determined  to 
prevent  any  unpleasantness  in  this  direction,  if 
it  were  possible  to  avoid  it.    Shortly  after  we 

209 


moved  in,  this  neighbor,  Mr.  Rader,  called 
and  complained  that  one  of  our  boys  had 
broken  a  pane  of  glass  in  his  parlor  window 
while  playing  baseball.  My  answer  was, 
"You  get  it  fixed  and  let  the  man  collect  his 
bill  from  me;  or  if  you  will  pay  for  it,  I  will 
return  the  amount  to  you  with  thanks. "  After 
his  interview  with  me,  he  told  his  family  what 
I  had  said  and  done,  when  one  of  his  boys  spoke 
up  and  exclaimed — "Why,  papa,  we  broke  one 
of  Mr.  Stix's  parlor  windows  last  week,  and  he 
knew  it,  but  he  did  not  tell  you."  Thereupon 
Mr.  Rader,  returned  at  once  to  the  house,  and 
acknowledged  that  he  was  very  sorry  he  had 
found  fault  with  my  children,  when  his  had 
done  the  same  thing,  and  said  he  would  prefer 
to  have  such  bills  sent  to  him.  I  told  him  I 
would  rather  not  send  them.  A  few  days 
later  he  sent  word  that  our  water  pipe  in  the 
cellar  was  leaking  and  flooding  his  cellar.  I 
replied  that  he  should  allow  his  own  plumber 
to  attend  to  it,  and  I  would  meet  all  expenses. 
The  bill  was  never  presented,  as  on  close  ex- 
amination his  plumber  found,  that  the  defect 
was  in  his  own  pipe,  and  not  in  ours,  as  he  had 
supposed.  Later  on  he  wrote  me  a  letter,  ask- 
ing me  whether  I  would  be  kind  enough  to 
remove  our  piano  to  the  opposite  side  of  our 

2IO 


house,  and  make  more  moderate  use  of  the 
pedal,  as  one  of  his  sons  was  very  sick,  and 
the  sound  of  the  playing  disturbed  him.  I  at 
once  gave  orders  to  have  the  piano  moved  and 
used  more  quietly.  On  the  Fourth  of  July  my 
own  children,  in  company  with  some  others 
whom  I  did  not  know,  were  making  a  racket, 
shooting  off  fireworks  in  celebration  of  the  oc- 
casion. I  stopped  them  with  the  remark  that 
our  neighbor  had  a  very  sick  boy,  and  they  had 
better  go  to  Eighth  Avenue  with  their  fire- 
works. The  children,  who  were  strangers  to 
me,  were,  it  seems,  visiting  at  Mr.  Rader's 
house,  and  when  they  returned  from  their  en- 
joyment around  the  corner,  as  I  had  suggested, 
to  avoid  disturbing  the  invalid,  they  told  him 
what  I  had  said  to  them.  This  was  too  much. 
My  forbearance  and  consideration  were  at  last 
recognized  and  appreciated.  We  received  a 
beautiful  and  heartfelt  letter  of  thanks,  and 
from  that  time  on  we  became  the  very  best  of 
friends  and  lived  most  harmoniously,  no  fur- 
ther complaints  ever  being  made. 

Mr.  Rader  kept  a  team  and  often  called  for 
me  to  drive  down  town  with  him  in  the  morn- 
ings. I  also  enjoyed  smoking  with  him  the 
very  fine  cigars  for  which  he  was  justly  cele- 
brated, as  he  was  a  tobacco  broker  and  had 

211 


every  facility  for  purchasing  the  best  in  the 
market.  This  pleasant  intercourse  with  my 
neighbor  continued  uninterrupted  until  he 
moved  to  Boston. 

While  the  14th  street  associations  linger 
pleasantly  in  my  memory,  nothing  could  be 
more  pleasant  than  our  present  home  and  its 
environment.  When  we  were  first  married  we 
lived  over  my  store,  without  a  servant,  and 
paid  no  rent.  Our  expenses  were  $300  a  year. 
Two  years  later  we  moved  to  Race  Street,  in 
our  own  house,  which  I  bought  for  $1,600. 
Ten  years  later  when  we  moved  to  New  York 
our  expenses  amounted  to  $3,000  a  year. 
During  the  first  six  months  when  we  lived  in 
this  city  we  used  $5,000,  including  our  ex- 
pense for  furniture.  In  1865  I  drew  nearly 
$50,000  for  a  house,  stocks  and  other  expenses. 
In  1 89 1  we  moved  to  35  West  71st  Street 
whence  we  expect  to  go  to  our  final  rest- 
ing place.  This  home  contains  all  the  im- 
provements and  is  the  most  complete  and  con- 
venient residence  we  could  possibly  desire.  It 
is  also  advantageously  situated  in  regard  to 
our  children.  Zillah  lives  next  door  but  one. 
Charlie  did  reside  within  a  block  of  us,  but  now 
has  moved  three  blocks  off.  Robert  is  on  a 
direct  line,  but  half  a  block  from  the  street  car 

212 


and  two  blocks  from  the  elevated  road. 
Carrie  is  also  reached  very  easily,  although 
about  one  hundred  blocks  away.  Frances' 
home  is  about  eighty  blocks  distant,  and  but 
a  block  and  a  half  from  the  cable  road.  We 
have  every  convenience  in  regard  to  markets, 
butcher,  grocer,  bank,  safe  deposit,  express, 
ticket  office  for  railroad,  telephone,  telegraph, 
bakery,  fish  store,  tailor,  druggist,  doctor, 
dairy,  laundry,  plumber,  elevated  road  and 
many  lines  of  cable  and  horse  cars.  We 
are  near  Central  Park  and  the  Hotel  Ma- 
jestic, a  million  dollar  edifice  just  completed. 
The  ground  is  high  and  healthy,  and  the  neigh- 
borhood is  one  of  the  best  in  the  city.  The 
only  drawback  is  the  high  price  asked  for 
everything. 

The  United  States  Government  occupied 
some  stores  on  4th  street  near  our  business 
which  were  burnt  out.  About  3  feet  of  water 
flooded  our  subcellar,  where  we  had  about  100 
cases  of  palm  leaf  fans  stored.  My  partner 
had  notified  the  insurance  companies  of  the 
condition  of  these  goods,  which  were  sub- 
merged, and  the  different  agents  called  to  ex- 
amine the  damage.  While  Swarts  was  taking 
them  down  to  inspect  the  premises,  one  of  the 
customers  of  the  house,  who  happened  to  be  in 

213 


at  the  time,  accompanied  them,  and  my  partner 
said  in  German,  "Whatever  allowance  we  get, 
you  may  have,  if  you  take  the  goods  at  the 
regular  price.  You  know  palm  leaf  fans  can- 
not be  damaged  by  water  to  any  extent  worth 
noticing."  Whereupon  the  agent,  who  fully 
understood  what  was  said  turned  and  re- 
marked, "If  they  are  not  damaged  for  you, 
they  are  not  damaged  for  the  companies." 
Our  business  insurance  since  the  war  has 
been  from  $700,000  to  $800,000  a  year  and  be- 
fore from  $100,000  to  $500,000.  We  never 
have  had  occasion  to  collect  a  dollar  to  this 
day  for  damage  by  fire,  and  hope  we  never 
shall,  although  we  have  paid  premiums  for 
about  53  years. 

An  incident  which  occurred  at  this  time  too 
was  fraught  with  more  tragic  possibilities. 
We  were  very  busy  working  in  the  store  until 
midnight  to  accomplish  something  which  had 
to  be  finished  before  I  started  for  New  York 
the  day  following.  Our  help  had  gone  for 
some  refreshments  to  the  William  Tell  Restau- 
rant, but  I  remained,  being  anxious  to  com- 
plete the  necessary  preparations  before  my 
departure.  When  I  had  finished  I  lowered 
the  light,  and,  in  passing  out  in  the  darkness,  I 
stumbled  against  a  mattress  which  was  on  the 

214 


counter  near  the  stove.  It  was  a  bitter  cold 
night  and  some  of  the  men  were  to  have  re- 
turned and  slept  there.  I  had  left  the  store 
and  had  walked  about  half-way  home  when  I 
felt  dissatisfied — as  if  something  was  wrong. 
With  this  impression  fixed  strongly  in  my 
mind,  I  retraced  my  steps,  knowing  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  me  to  sleep  unless  I 
convinced  myself  that  all  was  right.  Looking 
through  the  glass  in  the  front  door,  I  saw  to 
my  astonishment,  the  goods  and  mattress 
which  were  near  the  stove,  on  fire.  I  rushed 
in,  threw  the  burning  goods  on  the  floor,  and 
smothered  the  flames  with  other  material  on 
the  counter.  Our  damage  was  about  $100. 
We  were  insured  in  100  companies  for  the 
sum  of  $5,000  each.  They  told  me  they  were 
willing  to  pay  all  I  claimed,  one  dollar  for 
each  company,  and  I  could  make  out  the  papers 
and  send  some  one  to  collect  the  loss.  I  de- 
cided rather  to  drop  the  matter. 


At  one  of  the  government  sales,  I  bought 
a  case  of  fine  undergarments,  which  had  been 
imported  for  Mrs.  Jefferson  Davis.  I  paid 
$1,000  for  the  contents,  and  sold  them  at  a 

215 


large  profit,  when  it  was  known  for  whom 
they  had  been  intended  originally.  My  wife 
made  her  selection  first,  and  many  of  my 
friends  as  well.  There  are  still  among  my 
wife's  personal  effects  some  of  the  very  gowns 
which  Mrs.  Davis  hoped  to  receive  and  wear 
out,  but  which  so  unexpectedly  came  into  our 
possession.  I  also  purchased  at  the  same  sale 
a  large  quantity  of  rubber  blankets.  I  did  not 
know  the  value  of  these  articles,  and  it  seems 
that  the  auctioneer  had  some  secret  under- 
standing in  relation  to  price  and  profit,  which 
was  not  altogether  a  fair  way  of  dealing  when 
goods  were  to  be  sold  by  order  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  I  bought  them  at  a  much  higher  rate 
than  the  market  value.  As  I  left  the  marshal's 
office  some  salesman  gave  me  his  business 
card,  and  offered  to  sell  the  same  style  of  goods 
to  me  for  considerably  less.  The  next  day  I 
received  my  goods  from  the  marshal.  The 
rubber  blankets  were  not  charged  upon  it — 
they  were  purposely  omitted,  it  seems.  I  paid 
my  bills,  as  all  had  to  be  paid  before  delivery. 
The  following  day  I  received  a  bill  for  the 
rubber  goods,  but  not  from  the  government. 
It  ran  from  Mr.  Draper,  who,  it  seems,  was  the 
United  States  Marshal  of  New  York.  I  ob- 
jected to  paying  unless  a  bill  was  presented 

216 


like  the  preceding  one.  Neither  goods  nor  bill 
were  ever  delivered. 

One  of  my  business  ventures  was  a  com- 
bination made  by  the  three  firms  of  Rice,  Stix 
&  Co.,  Isaac  Oppenheimer  and  Louis  Stix  & 
Co.,  for  the  purpose  of  buying  cotton  in  that 
part  of  the  South  which  wTas  occupied  by  our 
troops.  We  were  advised  to  buy  Southern 
bank  bills,  and  did  so  to  quite  an  extent,  as  the 
planters  preferred  their  own  money  to  our 
greenbacks.  We  had  bought  and  shipped  a 
large  amount  of  gold  South,  but  the  govern- 
ment passed  a  law  against  having  it  paid  out 
in  that  section  of  the  country.  We  bought 
about  150  bales  of  cotton  that  cost  us  from  45 
to  50  cents  to  lay  down  in  New  York,  and  then 
brought  back  our  gold,  also  to  the  same  city. 
The  trouble  and  annoyance  about  contraband 
goods  which  were  perfectly  lawful  and  proper 
one  day  and  forbidden  the  next,  made  it  very 
difficult  for  any  loyal  citizen  to  operate  with 
safety.  We  withdrew  from  buying  cotton  di- 
rectly from  the  producer,  and  sold  our  150  to 
200  bales  at  a  fair  profit,  and  our  $25,000  of 
gold,  at  a  small  loss.  We  also  had  thousands 
of  Southern  bank  bills,  for  which  we  paid  from 
one  to  two  per  cent  premium,  and  nearly  all  of 
them    became    worthless.    When    the  gold 

217 


reached  my  New  York  office,  I  had  Herman's 
porter  take  the  box  for  me  to  the  Broadway 
omnibus.  It  was  so  conspicuously  put  up,  with 
dozens  of  seals,  that  every  one  could  see  it  con- 
tained gold.  In  my  anxiety,  I  took  the  wrong 
stage,  and  found  myself  in  one  that  went  to 
Fulton  Ferry,  instead  of  that  which  went  di- 
rectly from  Broadway.  When  I  discovered 
my  mistake,  I  could  not  get  out,  as  the  box 
was  too  heavy  for  me  to  carry,  so  I  remained 
in  the  omnibus  and  returned  with  it  to 
Broadway.  From  the  moment  I  entered  the 
stage  till  I  left  it  a  person  eyed  me  most  sus- 
piciously, as  if  just  waiting  for  an  opportunity 
to  rob  me.  When  I  again  turned  out  of  Ful- 
ton Street,  I  changed  stages  at  once,  and  rode 
to  the  American  Exchange  National  Bank.  I 
was  perspiring  dreadfully  when  I  entered,  and 
was  never  so  glad  to  get  rid  of  money  as  when 
I  deposited  it. 

I  recall  how  once  our  big  cellar  was  crowded 
with  an  immense  stock  of  sheeting  and  other 
staple  cotton  material,  while  our  customers 
were  few  and  far  between.  Even  when  they 
did  come  to  the  house  and  saw  the  enormous 
quantity,  they  seemed  to  be  scared,  and  either 
bought  none  at  all,  or  by  the  piece  only.  I  felt 
that  it  was  rather  a  mistake  to  show  such  a 

218 


large  stock,  so  I  ordered  my  help  to  hoist  daily 
a  certain  quantity  of  them  to  the  upper  story, 
and  not  make  an  entire  exhibit  of  our  stock. 
Soon  the  price  advanced  rapidly  and  nearly 
doubled  our  lowest  prices.  We  made  enemies 
by  not  allowing  purchasers  to  buy  large  quan- 
tities with  a  view  to  speculation.  At  the  very 
time  when  goods  were  extremely  low  we  sold 
quite  a  bill  to  one  of  our  regular  customers,  a 
Mr.  Amberg,  from  Hickman,  Kentucky.  He 
desired  at  the  time  to  have  the  goods  held  for 
him  until  he  sent  us  orders  to  have  them 
shipped.  Instead,  we  were  notified  that  he 
would  be  obliged  to  countermand  the  order,  as 
the  Confederate  Army  was  threatening  his 
town,  and  he  expected  to  be  forced  to  retire 
from  the  mercantile  business;  therefore  he  can- 
celed his  purchase.  I  had  the  goods  which 
Mr.  Amberg  had  selected  put  away  intact  and 
stored,  for  I  knew  if  he  should  re-order  he 
would  certainly  hesitate  about  paying  the  im- 
mense advance  at  which  we  were  now  selling. 
In  a  very  short  time  we  again  heard  from  Mr. 
Amberg  by  letter,  requesting  us  to  forward 
him  our  lowest  prices  for  such  goods  as  he  had 
previously  selected,  and  which  he  was  obliged 
to  cancel.  In  reply  we  informed  him  that  the 
merchandise  he  had  before  chosen  had  never 

219 


been  returned  to  our  stock,  but  was  subject  to 
his  order,  and  we  would  be  pleased  to  ship 
it  according  to  original  agreement.  Mr. 
Amberg  accepted  the  goods,  and  from  that 
time  forward,  dealt  with  our  house  whenever 
it  was  possible  to  do  so,  until  he  returned  to 
mother  earth,  and  we  invariably  found  him 
one  of  our  best  and  most  reliable  customers, 
a  true,  excellent  man. 

In  1864,  during  the  war,  the  agents  of 
Coates'  cotton  had  a  large  fire,  and  sold  the 
stock  remaining  at  auction  as  damaged  goods. 
I  examined  the  goods  before  the  sale,  and 
found  that  all  the  fine  and  high  numbers  were 
damaged  but  slightly  by  fire,  so  I  bought  them 
all,  and  only  a  few  thousand  dozens  of  the  de- 
sirable middle  and  coarser  numbers.  When 
I  examined  them  more  critically,  I  found  very 
little  injury  had  been  done  to  the  finer  ones, 
which  I  had  fortunately  selected,  as  they  had 
been  placed  on  shelves  which  quite  protected 
them  from  water;  whereas  the  coarser  and 
heavier  spools  were  standing  upon  the  floor, 
and  received  the  greater  harm.  As  we  were 
about  the  only  house  at  the  time  that  had  any 
fine  numbers  of  Coates'  cotton,  we  soon  re- 
ceived orders  for  unlimited  quantities,  and  dis- 
posed of  those  uninjured  by  fire  or  water  for 

220 


full  price,  without  the  slightest  difficulty.  Our 
stock  of  spool  cotton  was  simply  enormous.  I 
bought  at  a  prize  sale  of  the  government  2,000 
dozen  500  yards  ivory  spools  at  $1.75  per 
dozen,  which  was  then  quite  reasonable.  We 
made  more  money  on  spool  cotton  than  we  ever 
made  in  our  whole  business  before  in  any  one 
year.  I  bought  right  and  left  of  six  cord,  and 
also  immense  quantities  of  100  yards,  3  cord, 
50  yards  and  20  yards.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  we  lost  largely  on  these  last  purchases. 

The  day  before  the  fall  of  Fort  Donaldson  I 
bought  in  Philadelphia  about  $40,000  worth 
of  goods,  including  about  25  cases  of  Amer- 
ican prints  for  25  cents  a  yard.  The  next  day 
the  same  goods  were  offered  to  me  at  Vs  less. 
This  episode  had  its  effect,  for  nearly  at  the 
same  time  I  purchased  a  large  line  of  domestics 
at  auction,  but  my  neighbor  bought  after  me 
at  considerably  less.  I  doubled  my  original 
quantity,  purchasing  at  the  lower  price,  while 
he  sold  out  his  entire  stock  in  a  few  days  for 
less  than  I  had  paid.  I  held  on  to  mine,  await- 
ing the  result,  until  the  next  season,  when  an 
advance  of  double  on  the  cost  amply  repaid 
me  for  my  prudence  and  foresight.  It  has 
passed  into  a  proverb  that  patient  waiting  is 
no  loss,  and  the  incident  I  have  just  narrated 

221 


is  a  striking  verification  of  that  truth.  The 
merchant  should  possess  some  of  the  qualities 
that  distinguish  a  successful  soldier,  especially 
the  coolness,  which  often  turns  defeat  into 
victory. 

At  this  time,  as  I  was  returning  to  New 
York  from  Cincinnati  in  the  company  of  about 
ten  merchants,  one  of  our  party  proposed  that 
we  should  compare  the  respective  prices  at 
which  we  bought  corsets  from  Mr.  Julius  Hart. 
This  was  quite  an  unusual  occurrence,  but  we 
had  no  confidence  in  the  regularity  of  his  prices 
and  terms  offered  by  his  house,  so  it  was 
agreed  that  each  one  should  write  on  a  piece 
of  paper  the  conditions  under  which  he  had 
purchased  goods.  I  consented  rather  reluc- 
tantly, supposing  I  had  been  especially  favored, 
but  I  found  out  my  mistake.  About  half  of 
the  patrons  of  this  establishment  had  paid  less, 
and  the  rest  considerably  more  than  I  had,  thus 
proving  that  separate  and  distinct  agreements 
were  the  order  of  procedure,  and  not  fair,  re- 
liable, staple  prices.  There  is  nothing  so  liable 
to  create  ultimate  dissatisfaction  among  buyers, 
as  this  mode  of  treatment;  whereas,  if  a  fixed 
rate  of  profit  is  adopted,  no  one  can  complain, 
even  if  notes  are  compared. 

222 


I  had  promised  my  house  to  give  them  all 
the  news  pertaining  to  the  market  price  of 
goods  in  our  line,  as  the  press  was  not  very- 
reliable  and  prices  could  only  be  judged  by 
either  selling  or  buying.  At  the  time  we  had 
our  office  in  the  same  block  as  Jordan  Marsh 
&  Co.  who  were  selling  such  goods  as  they 
either  bought  on  speculation,  or  manufactured 
themselves.  As  they  were  handling  nearly  the 
whole  line  of  domestics,  I  went  first  to  see  them. 
I  asked  about  business  and  what  were  the 
changes  if  any.  Mr.  Charles  Marsh  said  there 
were  none.  While  inquiring  the  price  of  a 
1%  bleached  sheeting  under  the  name  "  Old 
Colony"  worth  before  the  war,  or  to-day,  about 
\2y2  cents  a  yard,  he  asked  me  $1.35  a  yard 
and  proposed  to  me  that  if  I  would  keep  it  a 
secret  and  take  it  to  my  grave  with  me,  he 
would  sell  me  five  cases,  or  more,  (speaking  in 
a  whisper)  at  $1.25  a  yard.  I  stood  up  and 
howled  so  loudly  that  it  could  be  heard  across 
the  street,  "I  will  give  you  90  cents  a  yard  for 
five  cases."  Mr.  Charles  Marsh  stood  up  and, 
not  to  be  outdone,  howled  as  loudly,  'They  are 
yours."  While  it  took  a  long  time  to  sell 
them,  our  loss  was  quite  considerable.  After 
this  experiment  I  went  to  the  store  of  Wood- 

223 


ward,  Baldwin  &  Co.,  doing  business  in  Balti- 
more, who  had  opened  a  branch  store  in  New 
York,  telling  them  my  story  of  Jordan  Marsh. 
It  was  of  these  people  I  had  once  said  to  Mr. 
Draper,  the  United  States  Marshal  who  had 
not  acted  very  honestly  toward  me  in  a  gov- 
ernment sale,  that  they  were  good  honest  peo- 
ple, but  had  not  a  loyal  hair  in  their  heads. 
This,  because  they  dwelt  on  my  loyalty.  It 
was  Mr.  Baldwin's  pleasure  after  my  remark, 
always  to  speak  of  it  in  meeting  me  as  follows : 
"Not  a  loyal  hair."  In  passing  from  the  rear 
to  the  front  of  their  establishment,  I  observed 
a  second  class  sheeting,  worth  before  the  war 
about  6l/2  cents  per  yard,  and  to-day  possibly 
5  cents.  I  asked  the  lowest  price  for  50  bales ; 
the  reply  was,  "70  cents  a  yard."  I  made  him 
the  ridiculously  low  offer  of  50  cents  a  yard 
for  50  bales,  and  upon  doing  so,  received  the 
answer,  "They  are  yours.  I  am  thankful  to 
you  for  having  taught  me  how  to  sell  goods." 
Although  very  cheap  that  day,  considerably 
underprice,  it  was  not  long  before  we  had  to 
sell  them  at  a  loss.  These  transactions  enabled 
me  to  determine  the  condition  of  the  market, 
and  for  weeks  after  I  bought  only  the  goods 
absolutely  essential,  and  undoubtedly  was  the 
gainer ;  as  from  that  time,  a  steady  decline  fol- 

224 


lowed,  culminating  in  present  prices,  which  are 
lower  now  than  ever  before  in  my  experience 
of  54  years. 

One  Saturday  afternoon  I  had  finished  my 
work  for  the  day  and  was  on  my  way  to  take 
the  car.  Just  as  I  was  passing  Jordan  Marsh 
&  Co.'s  establishment,  Mr.  Marsh  called  me 
over  to  his  place  and  insisted  upon  my  making 
him  an  offer  for  five  cases  of  %  Lancaster 
prints.  His  price  was  32^  cents  and  this  par- 
ticular class  of  goods  was  very  desirable  in  our 
market.  They  were,  moreover,  exceedingly 
cheap,  when  compared  with  others  of  similar 
manufacture.  I  offered  him  27^2  cents  for 
five  cases,  and  he  sold  them  to  me  at  that  rate. 
When,  however,  we  concluded  our  bargain,  it 
was  too  late  to  charge  or  ship  them,  as  some 
of  his  help  had  gone  home.  Upon  the  follow- 
ing Monday  morning,  when  I  asked  that  the 
goods  should  be  sent  in  accordance  with  our 
contract,  Mr.  Charles  Marsh  claimed  that  he 
was  only  joking  when  the  arrangement  was 
made;  that  the  least  price  for  the  merchandise 
in  question  would  be  32%  cents.  However, 
I  insisted  that  he  must  ship  the  goods  accord- 
ing to  our  mutual  original  understanding.  He 
then  made  me  promise  that  we  would  not  sell 
them  for  less  than  35  cents,  as  he  had  just  re- 

225 


ceived  telegrams  from  two  of  my  competitors, 
ordering  five  cases  each  at  32 cents.  I  wrote 
my  partner  that  our  neighbors  had  been  buy- 
ing this  line  of  goods  at  above  rates.  Mr. 
Swarts  believing  that  this  statement  of  Mr. 
Marsh's  was  only  made  to  gratify  me  by  de- 
luding me  into  the  belief  that  I  had  bought  at 
a  lower  rate  than  others,  took  no  stock  in  my 
report,  but  offered  this  invoice  for  30  cents, 
while  at  the  same  time  our  rivals  in  trade  were 
charging  35  cents.  A  customer  who  came  into 
our  store  about  this  time,  priced  the  goods,  and 
after  Mr.  Swarts  had  given  him  his  figures  at 
30  cents  per  yard,  the  gentleman  asked  him  to 
keep  the  price  open  for  a  few  minutes,  evi- 
dently intending  to  compare  it  with  the  others' 
charges.  My  partner  told  him  the  figures 
quoted  would  remain  the  same  until  the  last 
piece  was  sold,  whereupon  the  customer  re- 
turned to  Buchman,  and  reported  that  we  were 
charging  a  lesser  rate  than  theirs.  They  re- 
fused to  alter  their  price.  Mr.  Swarts  ad- 
mitted that  he  was  not  only  willing  but  anxious 
to  sell  them  at  the  given  terms.  Buchman 
then  interviewed  Mr.  Marsh,  and  insisted  upon 
seeing  the  charge  to  L.  Stix  &  Co.  for  the  five 
cases  sold  them;  at  the  same  time  saying  that 
he  would  never  buy  any  more  goods  from  their 

226 


house,  unless  an  explanation  was  made  of 
the  transaction  which  would  be  satisfactory. 
Charles  Marsh  ordered  his  clerk  to  show  Mr. 
Buchman  the  entry  in  their  books.  He  de- 
sired to  be  informed  upon  seeing  it,  upon  what 
principle  of  justice  Jordan  Marsh  &  Co.  could 
explain  their  having  sold  the  same  goods  to 
two  neighboring  firms  at  2y]/2  cents  and 
32^  cents  respectively.  To  which  query  Mr. 
Charles  Marsh's  reply  was  as  follows:  "It  is 
impossible  for  me  to  sell  you  goods  and  brains 
at  the  same  time." 

Upon  another  occasion  I  paid  $6  a  dozen 
for  a  line  of  toweling,  where  I  had  been  asked 
$7.50  by  the  case.  They  were  the  first  cotton 
towels  that  had  ever  come  under  my  observa- 
tion. I  bought  them  with  the  impression  that 
they  were  linen,  having  no  idea  that  cotton 
fabrics  of  this  kind  were  manufactured.  Upon 
discovering  my  mistake,  and  thinking  that  I 
had  been  imposed  upon,  I  complained  to  Mr. 
Marsh.  He  heard  what  I  had  to  say,  but  I 
gained  nothing  by  my  claim  beyond  the  re- 
joinder, not  particularly  consolatory,  "I  love 
to  get  the  better  of  you,  and  find  my  repose 
much  more  refreshing  when  I  have  succeeded 
in  doing  so."  I  have  sometimes  thought  that 
this  reply  of  his  was  intended  to  express  his 

227 


gratification  at  having  gained  a  point  which 
might  offset  my  greater  shrewdness  in  our  pre- 
vious transactions. 

About  the  same  time,  Mr.  Marsh,  who  was 
in  charge  of  the  New  York  store,  and  whose 
business  it  was  to  report  at  the  end  of  every 
week  what  items  of  stock  were  still  on  hand, 
sent  on  a  statement  to  his  firm,  which  showed 
that  he  held  a  case  of  woolens  that  was  the 
last  of  a  certain  lot  they  had  been  selling  at 
$1.50  per  yard.  Upon  receiving  this  report, 
the  Boston  house  ordered  Mr.  Marsh  to  drop 
that  case  of  cassimeres  from  his  stock  sheet. 
They  also  directed  him  to  sell  it  to  the  first 
buyer  without  regard  to  its  cost  price.  This 
irritated  Mr.  Marsh,  and  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  the  first  customer  who  entered  his 
premises  inquiring  for  this  class  of  goods 
should  have  the  case  in  controversy  at  any 
amount  he  might  choose  to  offer.  While  in 
this  state  of  mind,  it  so  happened  that  a  Mr. 
Seline,  a  partner  of  Strauss,  Seline  &  Co.  of 
California,  was  passing  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  street.  Mr.  Marsh  called  him  over  and 
remarked,  "I  have  received  peremptory  orders 
from  the  house  in  Boston  to  sell  a  case  of 
woolen  cassimeres,  the  last  of  that  particular 
stock  I  still  have  on  hand,  irrespective  of 

228 


value."  To  this  remark,  Mr.  Seline  replied, 
"I  bought  a  case  of  the  same  woolens  of  you 
a  few  weeks  ago  at  $1.50  per  yard,  and  I  would 
not  give  you  $1.25  per  yard  for  the  same  to- 
day." Upon  hearing  this,  Marsh  bet  him  a 
$25  box  of  cigars,  that  he  would  buy  it,  not- 
withstanding his  declination,  at  the  same  time 
insisting  upon  his  making  him  an  offer.  Se- 
line, supposing  that  it  would  not  be  accepted, 
thereupon  proposed  to  take  the  case  at  50  cents 
per  yard,  to  which  Mr.  Marsh  agreed,  and 
Seline  was  obliged  to  pay  for  the  cigars.  Mr. 
Marsh  immediately  wrote  to  his  Boston  part- 
ners, "Your  orders  I  shall  always  take  pleasure 
in  obeying.  I  have  accordingly  sold  the  goods 
in  question  at  50  cents  per  yard,  and  rather 
than  fail  in  carrying  out  instructions,  I  would 
have  parted  with  them  for  one  cent." 

On  one  occasion  my  house  wrote  me  that 
they  had  received  a  case  of  Irish  Linen,  with- 
out any  accompanying  invoice.  My  memory 
failed  to  recall  any  such  purchase,  and  it  was 
impossible  for  me  to  place  it.  At  one  time, 
while  selling  this  kind  of  goods,  I  came  across 
this  case  of  linen  marked  with  a  selling  price, 
but  without  a  cost  price.  As  this  was  quite 
unusual,  I  inquired  the  cause  of  the  omission, 
and  was  told  that  they  had  never  received  the 

229 


bill  for  the  case,  and  that  they  had  communi- 
cated with  me  to  this  effect  at  the  time  it  was 
delivered.  I  then  ordered  the  bookkeeper  to 
write  to  all  the  linen  houses  with  which  we 
dealt,  but  received  no  answer  from  any  that 
claimed  the  goods.  In  taking  stock  at  the 
close  of  the  year,  there  were  a  few  pieces  left 
over  to  invoice,  and  I  then  consulted  the  books. 
Looking  carefully  over  the  list  of  firms  with 
whom  we  had  dealings,  I  found  one  name, 
Paton  &  Stewart,  known  to  our  people  only  as 
a  dress-goods  house.  This  house  had  been 
omitted  by  us  when  inquiries  were  made  as  to 
the  goods.  We  then  addressed  them,  and  re- 
ceived a  reply,  stating  that  they  were  very 
thankful  to  learn  what  had  become  of  the  goods. 
They  had  missed  the  linens,  and  had  employed 
a  detective  to  watch  one  of  their  help,  a  porter 
who  had  been  in  their  service  for  a  quarter  of 
a  century.  They  felt  great  gratification  in  the 
assurance  that  their  old  and  trusty  porter  was 
thus  exonerated  from  suspicion,  and  worthy 
of  the  confidence  they  had  always  had  in  his 
honesty  and  faithfulness.  The  price  of  the 
goods  was  a  certain  amount  in  gold,  upon 
which  I  could  pay  any  premium  I  felt  disposed 
to  pay,  as  the  money  was  the  least  considera- 
tion, now  that  their  doubts  had  been  removed, 

230 


and  the  disappearance  of  the  goods  accounted 
for.  How  the  mistake  occurred  was  never  ex- 
plained. On  my  return  to  New  York  they 
thanked  me  most  heartily,  and  I  felt,  after  re- 
ceiving their  expressions  of  gratitude,  well  re- 
warded for  my  perseverance  in  finding  the 
owners  of  the  case,  and  above  all,  in  clearing 
the  porter  from  all  possible  complicity  and 
blame. 

I  recall  too,  how  one  day  standing  in  front 
of  our  store  in  Cincinnati,  quite  an  elderly 
lady,  somewhat  bent  and  wrinkled,  approached 
me  and  inquired  if  this  was  not  the  store  of 
Louis  Stix  &  Co.,  and  whether  Mr.  Stix  was 
here  from  New  York.  Upon  my  reply  that 
he  was,  she  asked  where  she  could  find  him.  I 
escorted  her  into  my  private  office,  questioned 
her  as  to  whether  she  was  personally  ac- 
quainted with  the  gentleman  for  whom  she 
asked,  and  whether  she  could  inform  me  in  re- 
gard to  her  wants.  "Well,"  she  replied,  "I 
do  not  often  come  to  the  city,  but  I  have  been 
informed  that  Mr.  Stix  lives  here,  or  at  least 
has  a  store  here.  He  used  to  stop  at  my  grand- 
mother's house,  when  I  was  but  a  little  girl, 
and  made  quite  a  pet  of  me,  giving  me  candies." 
I  thereupon  said  that  I  was  the  very  individual. 
I  had  no  difficulty  in  remembering  the  many 

231 


pleasant  hours  I  had  enjoyed  in  her  grand- 
mother's house  whenever  I  was  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Montgomery,  Ohio,  and  on  such 
agreeable  occasions  I  was  invariably  treated 
as  one  of  the  old  lady's  own  children.  The 
little  girl  of  that  time,  about  fifteen  years 
younger  than  the  writer,  was  indeed  my  pres- 
ent visitor,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  old  times,  I 
insisted  upon  her  accepting  a  trifling  remem- 
brance. 


232 


1NOW  learned  that  brother  Aaron  had  en- 
gaged himself  in  marriage  to  a  young  lady, 
named  Miss  Rice,  sister  of  the  beautiful  and 
amiable  Mrs.  Lauer,  and  of  Henry  Rice,  both 
of  whom  I  knew.  We  were  delighted  to  hear 
of  their  betrothal.  While  we  had  but  little 
knowledge  of  the  young  la-dy,  we  were  warm 
friends  and  great  admirers  of  her  sister,  and 
felt  the  highest  esteem  for  her  brother,  and 
family. 

However,  in  view  of  what  I  have  told  of 
the  happiness  of  my  dear  parents  in  their  own 
home,  it  is  not  singular  that  when  we  learned 
that  a  change  of  program  was  about  to  be 
inaugurated,  namely,  that  brother  Aaron  and 
his  wife  were  to  keep  house  and  our  parents 
board  with  them,  we,  with  one  accord, 
raised  our  voices  in  opposition  to  this  new  ar- 
rangement; but  we  knew  our  father's  strong 
will  too  well  to  rebel,  understanding  perfectly 
that  it  would  be  of  little  avail  to  oppose  it — so 
it  seemed  that  we  would  be  compelled  to  submit, 
and  accept  a  condition  of  things  much  less 
agreeable  than  the  former.    Though  it  seemed 

233 


hopeless,  I  called  my  father  aside,  and  brought 
all  my  eloquence  to  bear,  while  I  argued  with 
him  against  the  contemplated  change.  I  also 
spoke  with  brother  Henry  in  opposition  to  this 
plan,  but  without  success.  In  this  connection 
it  seems  proper  to  state,  that  while  none  of  us 
had  any  feeling  against  our  new  sister,  we 
feared  for  our  father,  who,  though  always  just, 
was  nevertheless  a  headstrong  man.  At  least 
he  had  that  reputation,  and  indeed  it  is  possible 
that  I  may  have  inherited  his  peculiarities  in 
this  respect,  for  there  are  those,  who  pretend 
to  know,  who  think  me,  also,  self-willed  and 
obstinate.  In  fact  I  have  heard  this  so  often 
that  I  really  begin  to  believe  it  myself. 

An  example  of  father's  nature  was  shown  in 
his  treatment  of  a  young  man,  a  second  cousin 
of  his,  who  had  invited  him  to  his  wedding. 
Although  the  young  man  was  not  absolutely  in 
love  with  the  young  lady  he  married,  still,  her 
influence  at  the  time  was  sufficient  to  have 
father's  invitation  countermanded.  The  bride 
was  a  frivolous,  trifling  woman,  and  father  de- 
termined to  be  even  with  her.  One  Friday 
evening,  when  all  the  family  were  gathered  to- 
gether socially,  the  bridegroom  and  his  bride 
called.    Father   remarked   as   they  entered, 

234 


"Your  company  is  not  worth  the  gas  which 
it  consumes,"  and  turned  out  the  light  in  the 
presence  of  his  unwelcome  visitors. 

We  did  all  we  could  to  prevent  this  change 
of  residence  on  the  part  of  our  parents,  the  sole 
reason  for  our  opposition  being  the  fear  that 
if  they  should  not  get  along  amicably  together 
and  there  be  trouble,  our  father  would  not  re- 
main on  the  same  footing  with  my  brother 
and  his  wife,  and  we  should  all  regret  that  the 
change  had  ever  been  made.  At  it  was,  they 
lived  harmoniously  together  until  my  parents 
returned  to  mother  earth. 

Father  died  in  1865,  and  after  his  death 
mother  continued  to  live  with  her  dearly  be- 
loved daughter-in-law,  though  she  had  an  only 
daughter,  living  just  across  the  street,  no  less 
willing  to  do  all  she  could  for  the  comfort  of 
her  surviving  parent. 

It  is  pleasant  to  remember  that  while  my  dear 
mother  lost  her  eye-sight  some  years  before 
her  death,  she  never  felt  that  she  was  in  anv 
respect  an  incumbrance,  for  no  mother-in-law 
was  ever  more  kindly  treated,  or  cared  for,  than 
herself. 

About  a  year  after  dear  parents  had  gone  to 
live  with  my  brother,  while  visiting  them  one 

235 


day,  finding  father  alone,  I  asked  him  privately, 
"How  do  you  get  along  with  your  boarding 
house,  and  particulary  your  landlady?"  He 
replied,  "You  were  more  than  right  when  you 
cautioned  me  not  to  give  up  housekeeping,  and 
especially  not  to  live  with  a  daughter-in-law. 
You  did  your  duty,  but  no  one  could  have  fore- 
seen what  we  have  had  to  encounter,  nor  could 
it  have  been  guarded  against.  I  neither  ap- 
prove of  her,  nor  her  peace  doctrines,  nor  can 
any  one  get  used  to  her  treatment.  I  have 
lived  all  my  life  in  my  own  way,  and  I  find  it 
hard  to  give  up  what  I  have  been  accustomed 
to,  now  that  I  am  growing  old,  and  to  change 
my  habits  for  no  other  reason  than  her  pecul- 
iarities. When  dear  mamma  and  I  used  to 
have  our  petty  quarrels,  perhaps  for  the  want 
of  something  better  to  do,  I  would  sometimes 
scold,  as  you  are  aware,  but  she  would  have 
her  say  too,  and  it  always  took  her  a  long  time 
to  get  through.  We  were  happy  then,  as 
happy  as  could  be.  But  now  all  is  changed. 
I  never  saw  a  human  being  like  my  daughter- 
in-law.  I  do  not  believe  she  possesses  the  or- 
dinary passions  and  prejudices  that  belong  to 
our  race.  Like  a  dove,  she  is  without  temper, 
and  dear  mother  and  I  are  her  untiring  con- 
sideration and  care." 

236 


All  that  I  have  said  in  this  memoir  in  praise 
of  sister  Hannah  is  far  less  than  her  noble 
character  and  disposition  deserve.  It  would 
be  vain  to  try  to  do  her  justice,  and  she  was 
fully  equalled  by  sister  Dinah,  who  was,  and 
is  to-day,  as  kind  and  considerate  as  herself. 
I  should  love  to  write  pages  about  the  lovely 
and  noble  character  of  Dinah,  who  married 
brother  William;  as  fine  in  every  way  as  her 
elder  sister  Hannah.  Unable  to  chose  be- 
tween them  as  to  nobility  of  character,  I  would, 
if  asked  which  one  do  you  prefer,  answer  like 
the  little  child :    "I  like  them  both." 

From  the  very  first  day  I  learned  to  know 
sisters  Hannah  and  Dinah  I  loved  and  admired 
them,  and  my  appreciation  has  grown  to  such 
a  height  that  I  cannot  imagine  it  any  greater. 
May  they  both  be  rewarded  for  their  many 
noble  deeds  and  the  good  they  have  done.  The 
writer  bears  witness  to  it  all,  and  desires  that 
his  knowledge  shall  not  pass  away,  or  die  with 
him. 

As  to  brother  William,  his  whole  life  history 
has  been  such  that  his  children  may  always 
feel  proud  of  their  father,  who,  although  the 
smallest  in  stature  in  our  family,  is  exceeded 
by  none  in  the  largeness  and  generosity  of  his 
heart. 

237 


May  the  love  those  here  spoken  of  bestowed 
on  their  progenitors  be  returned  to  them  a 
hundredfold  by  their  own  offspring,  and  may 
they  reap  in  old  age  that  blessing  promised  to 
those  who  truly  honor  their  father  and  mother, 
securing  for  them  long  years  of  health  and 
happiness. 

In  the  summer  of  1865,  just  before  father's 
death,  I  visited  Cincinnati,  as  was  my  usual 
custom,  to  see  my  dear  parents,  who  were 
staying  with  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Swarts  and 
family,  at  their  beautiful  country  home  on  the 
Harrison  Pike.  For  the  first  time  in  my  life 
when  leaving  my  parents,  I  seemed  to  be  filled 
with  apprehension  that  I  would  possibly  never 
meet  them  alive  again,  and  these  gloomy  fore- 
bodings so  occupied  my  mind  that  I  parted 
from  them  with  more  than  ordinary  reluctance. 
I  left  without  any  fixed  determination  as  to 
whether  to  go  back  to  New  York  or  to  return 
from  Logan  County,  Ohio,  where  I  had  con- 
cluded I  had  better  go  to  try  and  dispose  of  the 
land  which  had  been  in  my  possession  ever  since 
the  night  I  had  put  up  with  Mr.  Beard  in  my 
early  wanderings  in  the  year  1844  now  so 
many  years  ago,  when  he  and  I  had  made  this 
trade  of  poor  notes  for  poorer  land  as  I  have 
heretofore  related  at  length.    Recently  I  had 

238 


received  letters  from  a  neighbor,  who  owned 
the  land  adjoining,  offering  me  $10  per 
acre.  I  intended  seeing  it,  and  disposing  of  it 
for  any  price  it  would  bring.  I  left  Cincinnati 
in  the  evening  and  arrived  at  Bellfontaine 
in  the  morning.  I  hired  a  horse  from  a 
livery  stable.  The  proprietor  directed  me 
which  way  to  go.  The  land  was  about  fifteen 
miles  distant,  but  the  man  had  been  so  exact 
in  describing  the  road  over  which  I  was  to 
drive  that  I  had  not  the  slightest  difficulty  in 
reaching  my  destination. 

I  inquired  of  the  first  man  I  met,  whether  he 
could  inform  me  where  the  Stix  land  was  lo- 
cated. He  replied,  "If  you  are  Mr.  Stix,  and 
if  the  county  had  not  taken  the  ground  you  are 
on  for  a  public  road,  you  would  be  upon  your 
own  property.  My  name  is  Clapsadle,  and  I 
have  written  to  New  York,  expressing  a  wish 
to  buy  the  same."  After  acknowledging  my 
identity,  I  asked  if  his  wife  would  be  good 
enough  to  give  me  something  to  eat,  and  how 
long  it  would  take  her  to  prepare  me  a  meal. 
Mrs.  Clapsadle,  who  now  joined  her  husband, 
was  only  too  anxious  that  I  should  stay,  as  she 
feared  if  I  went  to  the  village,  a  little  group  of 
eight  or  ten  houses  about  half  a  mile  further 
on,  her  husband  might  possibly  lose  his  chance 

239 


of  securing  the  land.  Besides,  Mr.  Clapsadle 
had  made  a  conditional  arrangement  with  a 
neighbor  that  if  he  procured  it  he  would  divide 
with  him.  While  Mrs.  Clapsadle  busied  her- 
self about  the  preparations  for  my  breakfast, 
her  husband  put  up  my  horse  and  fed  him. 
The  land  looked  to  me  quite  valuable,  although 
$10  per  acre  was  the  best  offer  I  ever  had  had 
for  it.  I  asked  $2,500  for  the  farm  to  find 
out  what  Mr.  Clapsadle  had  to  say.  He  felt 
alarmed  lest  I  should  go  to  the  town  before 
coming  to  some  understanding  with  him,  as 
he  knew  that  the  property  might  bring  more 
than  I  had  proposed  selling  it  for,  so  he  and  his 
neighbor  decided  to  take  it  at  my  price,  the  pay- 
ment to  be  $100  in  cash,  and  the  balance  to  be 
divided  into  ten  equal  payments  within  ten 
years.  By  the  time  these  details  were  ar- 
ranged, breakfast  was  served,  and  Delmonico 
could  not  have  prepared  one  any  more  to  my 
taste. — Spring  chicken  cooked  to  perfection, 
eggs,  fine  butter,  milk  as  rich  as  ever  I  tasted, 
a  bottle  of  wine,  home  made,  and  a  nice  napkin 
all  spread  invitingly  upon  a  clean  white  table 
cloth. — In  all  my  life  I  never  enjoyed  a  meal 
more  thoroughly.  After  partaking  of  this  de- 
licious repast,  we  started  for  the  town  to  have 
the  contract  drawn  up,  and  to  borrow  the  $100 

240 


agreed  upon  for  the  first  payment;  but  not  a 
dollar  could  Mr.  Clapsadle  or  his  friend  raise. 
The  squire,  who  was  the  note  shaver,  and  the 
only  monied  man  around,  would  not,  and  could 
not,  be  prevailed  upon  to  lend  the  money.  The 
other  residents  had  none,  and  the  merchant  who 
wras  willing  to  help  them  could  not  afford  to  let 
this  small  amount  remain  out  for  any  length  of 
time.  While  these  fruitless  negotiations  were 
going  on,  Mrs.  Clapsadle,  with  her  children, 
was  crying,  and  her  neighbor's  family  also 
seemed  much  distressed.  The  miser  and 
money  king  then  remarked  that  he  was  going 
to  secure  the  land  himself,  and  if  any  one 
wanted  it  he  would  then  resell  it  at  a  small 
profit.  He  came  to  me  after  going  backward 
and  forward  and  offered  me  nearly  50%  more 
in  cash  on  delivery  of  the  deed.  I  then  went  to 
Mrs.  Clapsadle  and  proposed  giving  her  all  or 
half  of  what  the  squire  had  agreed  to  give  in 
excess  of  what  I  had  arranged  to  let  them  have 
it  for.  But  she  met  me  with  true  American 
spirit.  'The  land  is  yours,"  she  said,  "and,  if 
we  cannot  come  to  an  understanding,  we  have 
to  do  without  it.  All  my  life  we  have  been 
wishing  for  an  opportunity  to  buy  it,  but  as  we 
are  not  able  to  raise  the  required  amount  now, 
you  might  give  us  a  short  time  to  secure  the 

241 


sum  needed  for  the  first  payment.  I  will  not 
take  this  man's  blood  money.  I  have  no  right 
to  it.  Neither  will  I  accept  it  as  charity  from 
you.  Nevertheless,  I  thank  you  for  your  offer 
which  is  a  liberal  one."  Remembering  my 
fine  breakfast,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  be  gen- 
erous. Mr.  Clapsadle  and  the  other  interested 
parties  said  they  would  agree  to  pay  me  the 
squire's  price  if  I  could  only  wait  for  the  first 
payment.  So  I  handed  Mr.  Clapsadle  the  con- 
tract, at  the  same  price  we  had  at  first  agreed 
upon,  and  allowed  him  six  months  to  make  the 
first  payment  of  $100,  the  balance  to  be  ar- 
ranged for  in  ten  equal  amounts;  and  I  gave 
them  an  order  to  my  attorney  in  Cincinnati  to 
that  effect. 

The  merchant  of  the  place  who  was  so  well 
disposed,  but  unable  to  assist  them,  afterwards 
became  a  regular  customer  of  our  house,  and 
has  frequently  visited  me  in  New  York  since 
our  first  meeting.  He  became  quite  a  success- 
ful merchant,  opened  a  jobbing  house  in 
"Gents'  Furnishing  Goods,"  and  largely  en- 
gaged in  manufacturing  the  goods.  Later  he 
wanted  me  to  put  one  of  my  sons  in  business 
with  him  in  some  large  western  city,  and  add 
dry  goods  to  the  stock.  He  proposed  that  I 
should  equalize  his  capital,  which  he  claimed  to 

242 


be  $200,000.  He  had  moved  to  Iowa,  but  is 
now  living  in  Omaha,  if  I  remember  rightly. 
I  forwarded  his  letters  to  Mr.  Iglauer,  but  I 
had  no  idea  of  accepting  his  proposition,  or  of 
placing  any  of  my  children  in  such  a  business. 

Mr.  Clapsadle  paid  me  for  the  land  in  ac- 
cordance with  our  agreement,  and  he  could 
even  have  met  the  payments  sooner  than  they 
were  required,  for  the  land  was  full  of  black 
walnut  trees  which  paid  more  than  double  its 
cost,  only  it  was  a  considerable  expense  to  haul 
them  to  the  nearest  railroad  station.  Mr.  Clap- 
sadle and  his  neighbors  are  now  well  to  do,  but 
the  Shylock  squire,  who  tried  to  bargain  with 
me  against  their  interests,  has  lost  his  all. 

As  to  my  parents,  my  apprehensions  had  not 
been  ill-founded,  for  dear  father  died,  after  I 
had  left,  in  his  seventy-eighth  year,  as  the  re- 
sult of  an  accident  caused  by  the  running  away 
of  Mr.  Swarts'  horses,  which  upset  the  vehicle 
that  contained  at  the  time  about  seven  of  the 
family,  none  of  whom  were  injured  but  him- 
self, and  that  fatally.  He  was  still  at  the 
country  home  of  my  sister,  where  dear  parents 
spent  every  summer  after  Mr.  Swarts  bought 
his  country  residence.  Both  father  and 
mother  thoroughly  enjoyed  this  change,  and 
they  were  extremely  happy  there.    I  received 

243 


a  telegram  to  come  at  once  with  brother  Wil- 
liam, who  was  at  the  time  East  with  his  family, 
and  I  had  but  just  returned  from  my  western 
trip. 

W e  started  on  the  first  train  West,  receiving 
a  promise  that  we  should  hear  the  news  of  dear 
father's  condition  at  each  important  station  on 
the  route.  The  first  intelligence  which  awaited 
us  at  Salamanca  was  unfavorable,  and  we 
expected  other  messages  as  we  approached 
Cincinnati.  But  they  only  sent  us  a  second 
message  to  Dayton,  which  our  friends  did  not 
deliver,  feeling  reluctant  to  inform  us  of  its 
contents — the  announcement  of  father's  de- 
mise. At  Hamilton  we  met  the  morning  paper 
but  had  not  the  courage  to  buy  one,  fearing  to 
read  a  notice  of  father's  death.  As  our  train 
ran  into  the  depot,  I  remarked  to  my  brother, 
"If  our  folks  are  there  to  meet  us,  father  still 
lives,  but  if  either  friends  or  employees  are 
awaiting  us,  there  is  no  hope."  When  we 
alighted  from  the  car,  we  saw  Mr.  Henry 
Kupfer,  and  I  asked  him,  "When  did  father 
die?"  He  answered  briefly,  stating  the  time 
at  which  he  had  departed. 

From  what  I  was  able  to  learn,  the  acci- 
dent could  not  be  accounted  for,  as  the  horses 
were  always  quite  gentle,  and  apparently  there 

244 


was  nothing  unusual  to  startle  them.  The 
driver  probably  became  unnerved,  and  was 
unable  to  handle  the  horses,  as  the  runaway 
occurred  going  up  hill,  with  fences  and  em- 
bankments on  both  sides.  He  let  them  run  un- 
til they  reached  the  top  of  the  ascent.  On  the 
descending  side  it  was  quite  steep,  and  the  ani- 
mals became  the  masters  of  the  situation.  The 
vehicle  was  overturned,  and  the  terrible  disas- 
ter was  the  result. 

The  same  horses  and  driver  were  at  the  depot 
to  take  us  to  Swarts'  residence  in  the  country. 
Almost  simultaneously  with  our  entering  the 
carriage,  the  engine  attached  to  the  train  we 
had  just  left  blew  off  steam,  and  the  horses 
started  on  a  run.  The  frightened  driver  was 
too  much  demoralized  to  know  what  to  do,  and 
seemed  perfectly  incapable  and  helpless.  I 
jumped  to  the  front  seat,  seized  the  lines  from 
his  powerless  hands,  grasped  the  whip,  and 
used  it  with  all  my  strength.  The  horses  soon 
recognized  that  they  were  conquered,  and  in 
less  than  three  blocks  gave  up  all  idea  of  gain- 
ing their  own  will.  After  handling  them  a 
little  longer  until  they  were  well  under  control, 
we  reached  the  place  without  any  further  dif- 
ficulty. 

While  on  the  way  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
245 


prove  to  my  dear  mother  that  I  was  a  man  and 
able  to  bear  our  great  loss  with  courage  and 
fortitude;  but  in  the  face  of  this  sudden  and 
overwhelming  calamity,  I  failed  to  carry  out 
my  brave  intentions,  and  was  not  an  example  to 
my  dear  ones  who  felt  their  loss  no  less  severely 
than  myself.  Dear  mother  came  to  me  and 
said,  "You  must  not  murmur ;  we  have  no  right 
to  complain  of  what  God  has  done.  He  is  the 
Supreme  Judge  and  we  must  learn  to  accept 
His  will  as  right  and  good.  He  knows  what  is 
best  for  us  and  we  should  place  ourselves  at 
His  mercy/' 

I  often  told  my  father  that  I  did  not  believe  in 
saying  prayers  (kaddish)  for  the  departed,  and 
he  knew  that  I  differed  from  him  in  this  respect. 
He  did  not  consider  that  it  was  essential  for 
a  good  and  obedient  son  whose  principles  were 
opposed  to  the  custom,  to  say  prayers  at  the 
death  of  any  near  or  dear  one.  Still,  as  he  did 
not  agree  with  the  writer,  but  acted  in  accord- 
ance with  his  own  convictions,  he  left  a  certain 
amount  for  the  members  of  his  congregation 
to  meet  and  have  kaddish  said  for  himself 
and  his  beloved  wife. 

I  here  take  this  opportunity  and  occasion  to 
state,  in  order  that  there  may  be  no  misunder- 
standing, that  not  only  do  I  not  wish  any  of 

246 


my  children  or  friends  to  say  kaddish, — but  I 
positively  forbid  any  of  my  children  who  may 
differ  from  me,  following  out  this  old  custom. 
I  hope  that  they  will  not  consider  it  any 
hardship  to  comply  with  this  desire.  I  will 
speak  further  upon  this  subject  in  some  other 
place,  and  at  a  future  time.  I  want  my  body 
cremated  and  my  ashes  thrown  to  the  winds 
of  the  sea. 

Our  dear  father  remained  in  full  possession 
of  his  mental  faculties  until  his  death.  Up  to 
the  time  of  this  misfortune  he  was  physically 
strong  and  healthy,  and  would  doubtless,  but 
for  this  accident,  have  lived  for  many  years. 

With  our  mother  it  was  otherwise.  She 
seemed  to  wither  bodily  as  old  age  crept  upon 
her.  Her  physical  strength  gave  way  while 
her  mind  grew  clearer,  and  her  intelligence 
was  never  better  in  her  prime.  It  is  delightful 
to  recall  the  fact  that  as  her  physical  power 
decayed  her  heart  responded  even  more 
warmly,  if  that  were  possible,  to  every  throb 
of  love  and  attachment  of  her  dear  ones ;  a  love 
which  was  constant  and  unfading  in  her.  The 
frost  of  age  could  not  blight,  nor  the  snow  of 
life's  winter  chill,  the  warm  current  of  an  af- 
fection which  increased  even  unto  the  end. 
What  wonder,  when  its  roots  were  so  firmly 

247 


fixed,  spreading  and  taking  deeper  hold  every 
passing  day.  It  was  like  the  water  of  an  un- 
failing spring,  ever  ready  when  most  needed, 
and  hence  the  purest  and  most  refreshing. 
Hers  was  in  very  truth  a  blessed  ending  to  a 
noble,  sweet  life ;  a  hallowed  memory  to  revere 
while  time  shall  last. 

We  were  ever  anxious,  and  as  time  pro- 
gressed more  and  more  able,  to  make  our  par- 
ents realize  that  we  were  not  only  willing  but 
eager  to  do  everything  in  our  power  to  add 
to  their  pleasure  or  comfort,  and  that  it  was 
a  great  privilege  to  do  so.  They  did  not  need, 
nor  would  they  accept,  any  assistance  from  our 
hands.  When  they  came  to  my  house  we  were 
hardly  allowed  to  offer  them  any  attention. 
When,  however,  we  visited  them,  which  was 
as  often  as  was  possible,  sometimes  even  twice 
a  day,  their  hospitality  was  unbounded.  They 
spent  many  times  as  much  on  their  grandchil- 
dren as  we  on  them ;  and  left,  too,  quite  a  con- 
siderable estate  accumulated  by  my  father  in 
America,  through  his  untiring  hard  work  and 
industry. 

As  I  have  already  said,  no  man  ever  earned 
success  more  honestly,  or  was  more  truly  re- 
spected, either  in  Europe  or  in  this  coun- 
try than  my  father.    All  who  had  business 

248 


dealings  with  him,  found  him  ever  the  very 
soul  of  rectitude,  and  worthy  of  perfect  con- 
fidence. After  my  father's  death,  dear  mother 
continued  to  live  with  our  brother  Aaron  and 
his  family. 


249 


DURING  the  winter  of  the  year  1867, 
Henry  Stix  and  his  family  moved  to  New 
York.  We  looked  around,  intending  to  rent  a 
store  in  which  to  commence  a  dry  goods  jobbing 
business.  The  concern  was  to  have  been  made 
up  of  Stix,  Krouse  &  Co.  and  Louis  Stix  &  Co. 
While  we  were  deliberating,  but  had  not  as  yet 
arrived  at  any  definite  conclusions  in  regard  to 
details  and  location,  our  brother  Aaron  was 
taken  dangerously  ill  and  died  on  April  23rd, 
1868.  This  sad  bereavement  settled  the  fate 
of  the  proposed  enterprise,  and  each  firm 
abandoned  the  idea  contemplated,  and  so  near 
its  culmination,  and  remained  in  its  own  busi- 
ness as  heretofore.  Without  brother  Aaron 
we  felt  unable,  as  well  as  unwilling,  to  branch 
out  into  new  and  untried  experiments. 

Brother  Aaron  was  a  man  whom  all  the 
world  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  noble  and 
charitable  of  men,  if  judged  in  accordance  with 
the  amount  of  his  means. 

In  speaking  thus  highly  of  my  brother 
Aaron,  I  would  in  nowise  detract  from,  or  do 

250 


injustice  to,  the  virtues  of  my  other  brothers 
and  sisters;  yet,  certain  it  is,  that  I  admired  his 
generosity,  although  his  great  and  liberal  spirit 
was  too  often  abused  and  sadly  taken  advan- 
tage of.  In  delivering  brother  Aaron's  fun- 
eral oration,  Dr.  Wise  declared  that  "Aaron 
Stix  had  been  a  good  son,  father,  husband, 
brother,  and  a  friend  to  the  poor  and  needy. 
What  more  can  be  said  than  here  lies  Aaron 
Stix.  His  name  needs  no  eulogy,  and  further 
remarks  would  not  enhance  his  noble  character. 
The  world  knew  him  and  his  beneficent  deeds, 
which  cannot  be  numbered.  He  was  beloved 
by  all  that  knew  him  and  deservedly  so.  I  re- 
member a  remark  he  made  to  me —  T  never 
compare  my  lot  with  that  of  those  who  possess 
more  of  earthly  affluence,  but  rather  with  that 
of  those  who  have  less.'  " 

Brother  had  been  particularly  fortunate  in 
the  selection  of  his  wife,  who  was  a  noble 
woman,  who  strengthened  her  husband  in  all 
his  good  deeds.  Each  did  his  and  her  best  to 
render  their  home  an  ideally  happy  one  for  our 
parents.  Brother  Aaron  expressed  a  wish  that 
the  family  should  not  be  broken  up,  but  that 
after  his  death,  his  wife,  children  and  his 
mother  should  continue  to  reside  together.  He 
also  asked  that  brother  William  and  his  family 

251 


should  move  to  Cincinnati  and  live  with  them, 
which  wish  was  carried  out  as  long  as  mother 
remained  alive.  Later,  when  brother  William 
moved  to  St.  Louis,  it  gained  what  Cincinnati 
lost.  I  believe  both  communities  will  agree 
with  me  on  this  point. 

While  brother  William  lived  with  brother 
Aaron's  family  and  mother,  he  was  afforded 
the  opportunity  to  become  a  partner  of  either 
L.  Stix  &  Co.  or  Stix,  Krouse  &  Co.  He  chose 
the  latter  and,  in  order  not  to  come  in  conflict 
with  Rice,  Stix  &  Co.'s  interests,  he  also  re- 
mained a  partner  of  that  firm.  After  my  dear 
mother's  death,  he  retired  from  the  Cincinnati 
business,  and  resumed  his  place  with  his  old 
partners  at  St.  Louis,  feeling  that  filial  devo- 
tion no  longer  required  him  to  remain  in  the 
former  city. 

Sister  Hannah  Stix,  brother  Aaron's  widow, 
lives  with  her  daughter  Ray,  and  is  receiving 
the  reward  which  she  so  richly  deserved. 

Ray  married  Elias  Michael — a  self-made 
man,  who,  despite  many  disadvantages,  rose 
from  an  errand  boy  to  be  a  partner  of  Rice, 
Stix  &  Co.  and,  long  before  he  became  a  part- 
ner, stood  at  the  top  of  the  ladder,  and  was 
considered  by  the  trade,  the  best  judge  in  the 
market  in  his  department.    Sister  Hannah's 

252 


eldest  daughter  married  a  Chicago  gentleman, 
a  good  and  noble  man  ;  no  less  respected  and 
worthy  than  the  parents  of  his  good  wife. 
Her  son  Charley  is  one  of  the  head  men  of 
one  of  the  most  successful  retail  dry  goods 
houses  in  St.  Louis,  and  married  a  girl  worthy 
of  her  excellent  husband. 


When  Zillah  was  about  five  years  old, 
she  came  in  from  the  street  and  told  me 
that  some  neighbors  of  ours  said  that  I  was 
sting}7  and  a  miser,  for  I  did  not  live  like  a 
millionaire,  although  they  knew  that  I  was  one. 
I  asked  her,  "Well,  my  dear,  do  you  believe 
it?"  She  answered  me,  "I  do  not  believe  it." 
Then  I  put  the  question,  "Why  do  you  doubt 
these  people?"  Her  reply  was,  "If  you  were 
so  rich,  you  would  live  on  Fifth  Avenue." 

On  one  of  my  trips  to  Cincinnati,  about  the 
year  1875,  I  took  my  two  little  girls,  Carrie  and 
Frankie,  with  me.  We  were  delayed  on  the 
way  and  arrived  between  midnight  and  early 
morning.  Not  wishing  to  disturb  my  folks  at 
such  an  hour,  we  went  to  the  Burnett  House. 
I  took  the  children  to  the  room  assigned  to  us, 
and  asked  them  if  they  would  allow  me  to  go 

253 


to  the  telegraph  office,  to  which  they  agreed. 
I  left  them  in  our  room,  and  locking  the  door, 
took  the  key  with  me.  I  had  hardly  gone, 
when,  as  they  afterward  said,  they  noticed  a 
shadow  on  the  wall — probably  the  coats  we  had 
hung  there — and  commenced  to  scream  and  cry. 
The  guests  had  quite  a  time  finding  the  cham- 
bermaid who  had  duplicate  keys,  and  everybody 
on  the  floor  was  awake  when  I  returned.  Up 
to  that  time  our  children  had  never  known  what 
fear  was,  and  it  taught  me  a  lesson  to  be  more 
careful  in  the  future. 

Our  family  was  not  timid,  and  our  doors 
were  usually  left  unlocked;  especially  in  the 
14th  street  house,  where  the  lower  hall  door 
was  wide  open  most  of  the  time. 

One  evening,  my  son  Charles  was  playing  on 
the  piano,  and  while  looking,  as  he  usually  did, 
in  every  direction  except  in  the  direction  of 
the  notes,  he  spied  a  thief  and  said,  "There  is 
a  man  taking  some  of  the  overcoats. "  I  re- 
plied, "If  you  would  look  at  your  notes  half 
as  much  as  you  looked  all  over,  you  would 
save  me  from  giving  many  a  lecture/'  Charles 
thereupon  continued  playing  and  said  nothing 
more,  although  he  plainly  saw  the  thief  remov- 
ing all  our  things.  He  remained  silent  until 
the  thief  had  made  good  his  escape. 

254 


In  the  year  1878  or  thereabouts,  coming 
into  the  house  one  day  from  the  street,  a  white 
dog  which  had  followed  me,  entered  with  me. 
As  soon  as  Sylvan  saw  the  dog,  he  called  out 
that  he  wanted  the  dog  which  had  followed  me 
into  the  basement  put  out.  He  kept  repeating, 
"I  don't  want  a  white  dog,  I  only  like  black 
ones."  I  had  not  noticed  that  a  black  dog  had 
also  followed  me,  and  I  called  to  one  of  the 
elder  boys  to  take  out  the  white  dog,  and  bring 
in  the  black  one.  To  my  great  astonishment, 
one  of  my  sons  complied  with  my  request,  and 
walked  in,  accompanied  by  a  black  dog.  But 
Sylvan  only  howled  the  louder:  "Not  that 
sort  of  a  black  dog."  The  real  truth  of  the 
matter  was  that  he  did  not  want  to  appear 
cowardly,  and  yet  was  quite  frightened,  so  he 
took  this  method  of  relieving  his  feelings  and 
protecting  his  reputation  for  bravery,  by  being 
very  choice  as  to  the  style  of  dog  he  preferred, 
both  in  regard  to  the  exact  breed,  and  as  to 
the  color. 

Shortly  after  this  episode,  Sylvan  went  to 
13th  street  school,  but  his  conduct  there  was  not 
altogether  what  we  would  have  had  it.  The  re- 
ports he  brought  home  were  unsatisfactory  and 
finally  his  teacher  sent  for  his  mother  to  inter- 
view her  in  regard  to  his  deportment.    She  ad- 

255 


vised  that  he  should  be  taken  away  from  his 
companions  on  account  of  their  evil  influence 
over  him.  My  wife,  however,  thought  it  was 
the  teacher's  duty  to  dismiss  such  pupils,  in 
order  that  the  good  should  not  suffer,  and 
expressed  this  opinion  quite  decidedly.  The 
teacher  then  had  no  alternative  but  to  tell  my 
wife  that  Sylvan  was  really  a  leader.  After 
that  we  withdrew  him  from  these  surroundings 
and  undesirable  connections  and  sent  him  to  a 
small  private  school  near  our  house,  where  the 
teacher  took  great  interest  in  his  progress  and 
behavior.  While  attending  the  13th  street 
school  Sylvan  had  been  quite  unreliable  in  his 
statements,  but  now  the  change  for  the  better 
was  most  perceptible.  He  became  a  totally  dif- 
ferent kind  of  a  boy,  and  gave  no  more  trouble 
either  to  his  family  or  instructors.  In  fact  he 
was  a  universal  favorite.  His  sister  Frances 
exerted  a  wonderful  influence  over  him,  and 
helped  to  mold  his  character  according  to  her 
own  standard. 

When  Sylvan  concluded  to  become  an  archi- 
tect he  went  to  Sach's  school  to  prepare  to 
enter  the  Boston  School  of  Technology.  In 
his  third  year  in  Boston  he  was  taken  ill 
with  typhoid  fever  which  put  him  back  a  year. 
While  out  of  school  he  tried  to  get  into  the 

256 


office  of  an  architect,  until  he  would  be  able  to 
return  to  Boston.  He  finally  abandoned  the 
idea  of  returning  to  school.  He  went  into  the 
grocery  business,  choosing  hard  work  rather 
than  an  easier  life,  with  possibly  less  rapid  ad- 
vancement. He  takes  an  active  interest  in  his 
present  employment,  and  devotes  more  energy 
and  a  greater  number  of  hours  to  his  business 
than  any  other  one  of  my  children  ever  did. 
I  have  the  fullest  confidence  in  his  future  pros- 
perity. He  is  universally  liked,  is  intelligent, 
and  believes  he  is  able  to  cope  with  the  world 
with  manly  determination.  His  eyes  are  wide 
open  and  he  possesses  good  business  qualifica- 
tions. The  only  drawback  that  I  can  see  is 
that  he  may  be  a  little  too  sanguine.  He  owes 
much  to  his  sister  Frances,  who  has  helped  to 
develop  his  character  in  accordance  with  her 
own  ideas  and  principles,  which  I  admire; 
though  a  happy  medium  may  be  better  than 
too  great  severity. 


257 


I WAS  once  present  at  a  meeting  of  some  im- 
porters at  Staten  Island.  The  conversa- 
tion accidentally  turned  upon  the  Jewish  trade 
and  credits.  One  gentleman,  a  partner  of  one 
of  the  largest  jobbing  houses,  made  the  remark 
that  he  never  sold  to  that  class  of  trade  except- 
ing for  cash.  Three  of  the  leading  men  of 
prominent  concerns,  however,  expressed  the 
sentiment  that  they  made  no  distinction  what- 
ever, unless  in  favor  of  the  Jews,  as  they  found 
them  worthy  and  reliable,  and,  as  a  rule,  if  they 
failed,  they  were  anxious  to  secure  a  settlement, 
and  had  friends  to  help  them,  so  that  the  loss 
was  frequently  made  good  by  keeping  on  selling 
to  them.  Another  gentleman  said,  "It  won't 
be  long  before  those  very  people  will  be  the  rich 
merchants  of  this  country."  Richard,  Iselin, 
William  Lattimer  and  Fred  Butterfield  all 
spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  them.  Some  one, 
less  acquainted  with  the  Jewish  trade,  thought 
they  would  soon  own  and  control  the  busi- 
ness interests  and  that  they  did  not  spend 
money  in  the  same  proportion  that  Ameri- 
cans did.    Mr.   Lattimer  arose  and  stated 

258 


that,  while  he  always  thought  well  of  them, 
lately  he  had  concluded  that  thev  were 
more  extravagant  than  any  other  people  he 
knew.  One  of  the  partners  in  a  large  silk 
house  remarked,  "There  is  your  friend,  Louis 
Stix,  to  whom  no  one  can  sell  any  goods  to  be 
found  in  your  house,  and  I  believe  that  outside 
of  his  own  business,  he  takes  more  interest  in 
your  business  than  any  person  I  ever  heard  of ; 
and  at  the  very  first  opportunity  which  offers 
itself  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  sell  to  him 
no  matter  at  what  sacrifice."  Mr.  Richard 
also  affirmed  that  if  his  friend,  Louis  Stix, 
should  ever  be  unfortunate,  he  would  share 
with  him  before  he  would  see  him  in  want. 
The  very  gentleman  who  had  so  positively  de- 
termined to  sell  me  goods,  did  dispose  of  a  case 
of  black  silk  to  me  after  I  had  bought  all  I 
wanted  of  my  friends  Richard,  Iselin  &  Co.  at, 
as  he  afterwards  stated,  a  considerable  loss  to 
himself. 

Sometime  after  our  Civil  War,  I  had  my 
office  at  16  White  Street,  and  there  Mr.  Lat- 
timer  called  on  me  as  was  his  habit  when  seek- 
ing for  private  information  in  reference  to  his 
business.  He  wished  to  inquire  about  a  party 
whom  I  knew  well,  and  I  cautioned  him  not  to 
sell  to  the  man,  as  he  was  unreliable,  and  had 

259 


owed  our  house  $5,000  for  years,  although  we 
were  secured  by  a  responsible  endorser.  The 
person  under  discussion  was  no  business  man, 
not  over  honest,  and  strongly  inclined  to  gam- 
ble; so  I  advised  Mr.  Lattimer  to  keep  away 
from  him,  or  he  would  undoubtedly  be  cheated 
by  him,  if  any  opportunity  offered  itself.  Mr. 
Lattimer  left  my  office,  thanking  me  for  the  in- 
formation I  had  furnished,  but  met  on  the  street 
this  endorser,  the  man's  brother-in-law,  whose 
name  had  also  been  given  as  reference.  He 
inquired  of  the  brother-in-law  in  relation  to 
the  party's  standing,  and  was  told  that  he 
knew  the  man  well,  and  that  the  man  was  per- 
fectly good,  as  much  so  as  any  person  whom 
Mr.  Lattimer  might  sell.  Thereupon  Mr.  Lat- 
timer sold  the  party  $8,000  worth  of  goods  on 
six  months.  The  party  paid  this  bill  when  due, 
and  the  next  season  returned  to  make  other 
purchases.  Again  Mr.  Lattimer  came  to  me 
for  further  advice  in  regard  to  the  same  party, 
and  I  inquired  how  he  had  decided  to  act  before. 
He  answered  that  he  had  delivered  the  goods, 
and  received  his  money  for  them.  But,  not- 
withstanding this  fair  transaction,  I  could  not 
change  my  opinion,  and  insisted  that  if  he  felt 
like  risking,  he  might  go  on,  as  he  was  one  of 
those  who  could  best  afford  to  lose  in  case  my 

260 


predictions  were  realized.  The  man  accord- 
ingly bought  his  second  bill  of  goods,  failed 
shortly  after,  and  paid  aoout  ten  cents  on  the 
dollar.  The  other  reference  had  assured  Mr. 
Lattimer  both  the  first  and  second  time  that 
the  party  was  all  right,  but  it  was  useless  to 
consult  Louis  Stix,  who  was  the  man's  enemy. 
This  was  said,  knowing  that  Mr.  Lattimer  was 
my  friend  and  would  probably  see  me  in  re- 
lation to  the  said  party's  character  and  in- 
tegrity. 

Shortly  after  this  unfortunate  affair,  I  had 
occasion  to  go  to  Mr.  Lattimer's  store  on 
business,  and,  as  usual,  intended  dropping  in  at 
the  office;  but  Mr.  Hill,  his  partner,  told  me  he 
had  instructions  from  Mr.  Lattimer  that  he 
could  not  meet  me;  he  felt  too  miserable  for 
more  than  one  reason :  firstly,  on  account  of  his 
loss  which  he  considered  inexcusable,  having 
been  warned;  and  secondly,  he  thought  he  had 
done  me  a  wrong  by  not  heeding  the  advice  I 
had  given  out  of  friendship  and  interest  in  his 
affairs.  I  felt  sorry  for  my  old  friend  and 
pitied  him  instead  of  bearing  him  any  grudge. 

I  never  again  met  Mr.  Lattimer  in  his  office, 
as  he  took  sick  after  this,  and  could  no  longer 
attend  to  his  business.  Mr.  Henry  Rice  and 
myself  called  at  his  private  residence  to  make 

261 


inquiries  about  his  health.  His  servant  in- 
formed us  that  he  could  not  be  seen.  We 
asked  him  to  please  take  up  our  cards,  and  we 
would  wait  for  his  return.  He  immediately 
came  back  with  the  order  to  show  us  up  to  his 
master's  room.  In  the  meanwhile  Mr.  Lat- 
timer  had  sent  for  his  family.  I  was  already 
well  acquainted  with  his  wife,  with  whom  I 
had  frequently  rolled  ninepins  at  Saratoga. 
He  remarked  as  we  entered  that  it  gave  him 
great  pleasure  to  see  us,  and  he  was  particu- 
larly gratified  to  meet  me  again,  as  he  felt  that 
he  owed  me  an  apology  for  the  recent  episode. 
He  introduced  me  as  the  one  whom  he  regarded 
as  a  model  of  a  good  man,  and  observed  to 
those  present,  that  I  was  the  same  person  about 
whom  he  had  read  an  article  some  time  before 
in  the  New  York  Economist,  copied  from  a 
western  paper.  After  asking  my  forgiveness, 
he  begged  of  me  that  our  true  and  friendly 
feelings  might  not  be  lessened  by  his  indis- 
cretion, which  he  deeply  regretted.  It  was  not 
long  after  this  interview  that  he  passed  away, 
leaving  a  noble  name  and  a  large  fortune,  of 
which  he  himself  had  been  the  architect.  His 
many  social  and  business  friends  deeply  de- 
plored his  loss. 

About  this  time  our  house  in  Cincinnati  re- 
262 


ported  that  they  had  received  from  A.  T. 
Stewart  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  a  case  of  Wash- 
ington plaids  without  any  accompanying  in- 
voice, nor  had  they,  upon  careful  examination, 
been  able  to  discover  any  reference  to  it  in  my 
cash  statements.  As  it  was  our  invariable 
custom  to  pay  such  bills  within  ten  days,  at  six 
per  cent  discount  for  cash,  I  sent  for  a  state- 
ment, and  the  answer  I  received  was  that  they 
had  no  bill  of  any  kind  which  stood  open  be- 
tween us  on  that  date.  I  immediately  wrote 
to  Cincinnati  the  full  particulars,  whereupon 
they  gave  me  the  number  of  yards  and  the  day 
on  which  they  had  received  the  goods.  I 
reported  the  result  of  my  inquiries  to  A. 
T.  Stewart  &  Co.  They  still  denied  that 
I  was  in  their  debt,  and  professed  to  have 
no  knowledge  of  any  such  invoice.  Never- 
theless, I  frequently  recurred  to  the  sub- 
ject, and  moreover  left  with  them  a  copy  of  my 
Cincinnati  memorandum,  showing  that  the  case 
had  been  actually  shipped  and  received  by  our 
western  house;  yet  with  all  this  minute  ex- 
planation they  failed  to  find  any  trace  of  the 
transaction  upon  their  books.  It  was  not  until 
twelve  months  later,  when  A.  T.  Stewart's 
firm  balanced  their  account  on  Washington 
Mill  plaids,  that  they  found  it  one  case  short. 

263 


Upon  making  this  discovery,  they  consulted 
my  memorandum,  still  in  their  possession,  and 
by  its  assistance  they  were  enabled  to  find  their 
mistake,  and  correct  the  error. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  result  of  my  fair 
dealing,  and  the  manner  in  which  this  great 
firm,  never  noted  for  its  liberality,  rewarded 
me.  While  I  was  perfectly  willing  to  pay  them 
upon  a  basis  of  six  per  cent  for  cash  at  ten  days 
with  interest  added  from  the  time  it  was  due, 
our  regular  mode  of  procedure,  they  refused  to 
accept  my  offer  of  settlement,  declining  to  allow 
me  the  six  per  cent  discount.  They  moreover 
kept  my  check,  at  the  same  time  sending  me  a 
bill  for  the  difference  against  me  as  they  figured 
it.  After  many  altercations,  I  wrote  to  Mr.  A. 
T.  Stewart  personally,  setting  forth  all  the  facts 
and  calling  his  attention,  as  the  head  of  their 
firm,  to  what  I  believed  to  be  the  justice  of  my 
case.  He  replied  that  he  never  interfered,  but 
at  the  same  time,  took  good  care  to  decide 
against  me;  a  decision  which  I  positively  re- 
fused to  accept,  feeling  that  I  was  absolutely 
in  the  right,  for  without  the  timely  assistance 
of  my  note  of  information  they  would  never 
have  been  able  to  discover  their  error,  and  trace 
the  final  disposition  of  the  goods  in  question. 
From  the  time  of  my  refusal  to  accede  to  their 

264 


demands,  the  house  declined  to  sell  us  any  more 
goods  unless  for  cash  before  delivery.  For  a 
long  time  they  were  accustomed  to  send  their 
collector  to  my  office  to  receive  his  check  when 
the  goods  were  ordered.  Finding  ere  long  that 
their  modus  operandi  involved  not  only  too 
much  red  tape,  but,  a  matter  of  greater  con- 
sideration, was  too  expensive,  they  changed 
their  tactics,  and  proposed  to  mark  my  bills  at 
six  months'  time,  without  privilege  of  discount, 
an  arrangement  which  I  likewise  refused.  The 
upshot  of  the  whole  matter  was  that  they  came 
round  to  my  way  of  thinking,  acceding  to  my 
terms,  and  our  business  transactions  went  on 
according  to  our  original  understanding. 

Mr.  Richard,  of  the  firm  of  Richard,  Iselin 
&  Co..  had  also  for  years  made  it  his  practice 
whenever  he  sold  a  bill  of  goods,  where  he  was 
unacquainted  and  thought  I  would  be  apt  to 
know  the  party,  to  call  upon  me  for  information 
in  regard  to  the  business  standing  of  the  per- 
son in  question.  If  I  had  no  personal  knowl- 
edge, I  investigated,  often  with  great  success, 
by  inquiring  among  my  numerous  acquaint- 
ances. One  time  he  sold  to  a  man  whom  I 
knew  but  slightly,  and,  after  diligent  search, 
thought  favorably  of  crediting  him  with  $5,000 
worth  of  buck  gloves,  and  they  were  delivered 

265 


to  him  at  the  usual  time.  Shortly  after,  the 
same  party  wanted  to  buy  about  $15,000  to 
$20,000  more  of  stock.  Looking  still  more 
carefully  into  details,  I  did  not  consider  him 
worthy  of  such  a  large  amount  of  credit,  and 
he  was  refused.  While  in  their  office  one  day, 
Mr.  Richard  informed  me  that  another  party 
wished  to  buy  the  same  lot  of  goods  and  had 
given  my  name  as  his  reference.  Almost  at 
the  minute  my  friend  entered  and  Mr.  R. 
said,  "I  refer  you  to  your  friend  Mr.  Stix." 
As  he  was  "A-i,"  the  sale  was  made  with 
perfect  satisfaction,  and  the  bill  was  paid  ac- 
cording to  agreement.  The  merchant  who 
had  been  refused  on  account  of  my  unfavorable 
report  failed  the  following  year,  and  un- 
doubtedly would  have  become  bankrupt  sooner 
if  he  had  assumed  the  large  obligation  that  he 
wanted  then  to  contract,  but  which  he  would 
have  been  unable  to  meet,  as  proved  by  the 
sequence. 

As  I  was  riding  uptown  on  the  Church  Street 
car  one  day,  perusing  a  letter  which  I  had  just 
received  from  my  partner,  I  suddenly  observed 
Mr.  Barby,  whom  I  had  not  recognized  before, 
because  I  was  so  absorbed  in  my  correspond- 
ence, and  rather  excited  by  its  contents.  My 
friend  noticed  my  expression  and  asked  me, 

266 


"Why  so  despondent?"  I  handed  him  my 
partner's  letter,  wherein  he  said  that  he  would 
not  put  himself  out  in  the  least  to  meet  our 
heavy  payments,  as  he  had  repeatedly  written 
to  me  not  to  keep  on  buying  goods  for  which 
we  had  no  use.  Thereupon  Mr.  Barby,  the 
partner  of  Iselin,  offered  me  $100,000  which  I 
could  keep  as  long  as  I  had  any  use  for  it. 
Money  then  brought  about  4%  more  than 
regular  interest,  and  I  was  to  pay  the  lowest 
bank  rate.  I  took  the  full  amount  offered. 
After  a  long  time  money  became  quite  a  drug 
on  the  market,  and  I  met  Mr.  Barby  on  the 
street.  I  had  no  money  to  pay  him  but  I 
simply  asked,  "Are  you  prepared  to  receive 
your  loan?"  His  answer  was,  "If  you  cannot 
use  it,  I  will  have  to  take  it  back,  but  I  have 
$1,500,000  with  my  broker  and  only  get  2%." 
As  I  had  received  it  when  it  was  worth  more, 
I  kept  the  loan  until  money  was  sought  for,  and 
brought  good  interest.  After  Henry  Barby 
retired,  Mr.  A.  Richard  became  the  manager 
and  head  of  the  house.  I  never  asked  him  for 
a  personal  favor,  or  one  for  my  friends,  that 
he  did  not  grant  most  cordially,  and  the  writer 
fully  appreciated  every  consideration  he  thus 
received.  From  my  first  acquaintance  with  the 
house,  until  I  retired  from  the  active  duties  of 

267 


a  buyer,  it  was  always  a  gratification  to  me  to 
deal  with  them.  They  had  sold  me  goods  since 
the  year  1852,  and  I  had  invariably  found  them 
most  liberal  and  reliable  in  every  transaction. 
Their  word  when  once  given  was  always  ful- 
filled, and  their  conduct  was  always  in  keeping 
with  their  promises.  No  man  could  wish  or 
look  for  more  noble  principles  than  those  which 
actuated  this  firm  in  all  their  business  rela- 
tions. Later  Mr.  Richard  gave  another  proof 
of  his  friendship  for  me.  He  had  retired  from 
business  some  years  before,  but  now  he  called 
on  me  at  my  office  and  remarked,  "When  you 
wanted  money  in  the  past,  you  were  ever  wel- 
come to  all  you  asked  for;  to-day,  although  I 
have  not  the  cash  to  offer,  yet  I  can  assist  you 
if  you  need  financial  help,  as  I  have  learned 
that  you  have  invested  extensively,  anticipat- 
ing a  large  advance.  I  came  here  to  lend  you 
and  our  mutual  friend  Mr.  Rice  $100,000  worth 
of  government  bonds  on  which  you  will  be  able 
to  get  money  at  a  low  interest,  and  I  can  assure 
you  that  your  acceptance  will  not  in  the  least 
discommode  me,  but  it  will  gratify  me  to  be  of 
any  service  to  you."  Although  neither  Mr. 
Rice  nor  myself  availed  ourselves  of  our 
friend's  liberality,  yet  I  state  this  circumstance 
to  prove  his  sincere  and  practical  expression  of 

268 


true  abiding  friendship.  Our  family  picture 
occupies  a  conspicuous  position  on  the  wall  of 
his  parlor.  Many  of  his  visitors  have  fre- 
quently mistaken  my  portrait  for  that  of  Gen- 
eral Grant  I  am  told. 

Our  loss  in  the  years  1866  and  1867,  after 
the  Civil  War,  was  brought  about  by  many  cir- 
cumstances. One  was  the  decline  in  the  value 
of  our  stock.  From  this  cause,  we  suffered  the 
most;  and  the  next  greatest  was  the  large 
amount  of  bad  debts.  Many  of  our  customers 
began  business  during  the  war  without  a  dollar 
capital.  They  married  city  girls,  accustomed 
to  extravagant  ideas,  who  lived  up  to  their  in- 
comes. When  the  decline  in  the  value  of  goods 
came,  they  were  ill  prepared  to  stand  the  loss, 
and  bankruptcy  stared  them  in  the  face.  Most 
of  them  failed  and  honestly  so,  and  returned 
to  the  positions  from  which  they  had  risen, 
seeking  for  their  old  places.  The  loss  was  par- 
ticularly severe  on  those  who  had  little  to  lose. 
We  lost  a  small  fortune  through  these  failures, 
more  than  we  considered  ourselves  worth  at 
the  beginning  of  the  struggle  between  the 
North  and  South.  Another  serious  disadvan- 
tage was  that,  while  we  sold  half  a  million  dol- 
lars' worth  of  goods  in  1856  with  $12,000  busi- 
ness expenses,  in  1866  and  1867  our  expenses 

269 


increased  tenfold  and  our  private  living  cost 
four  times  as  much.  We  had  learned  to  be 
extravagant.  Our  children  have  inherited  this 
tendency,  and  have  grown  even  more  so. 

All  my  life  I  have  valued  my  reputation 
above  the  mighty  dollar,  and  never  felt  inclined 
to  jeopardize  my  good  name  to  secure  even  a 
just  debt.  About  1867,  the  year  during  which 
we  lost  a  large  portion  of  our  capital,  I  was 
called  upon  by  a  debtor  who  owed  Louis  Stix 
&  Co.  the  amount  of  $28,000.  He  came  for 
the  purpose  of  securing  me,  and  to  effect  that 
object,  he  requested  me  to  buy  the  concern,  and 
either  pay  him  cash,  or  give  him  our  note  for 
the  difference  between  the  value  of  his  stock 
and  the  sum  he  owed  us.  While  this  would 
have  liquidated  our  debt,  it  was  only  done  that 
I  might  give  him  a  helping  hand  to  furnish  him 
with  ready  money  for  his  personal  gratification, 
but  not  with  the  view  of  paying  off  his  other 
creditors,  whom  he  intended  to  rob  and  thus 
swindle  out  of  their  just  claims.  So  his  propo- 
sition to  me  was  really  intended  as  a  bribe  to 
induce  me  to  become  an  accessory  and  accom- 
plice in  hindering  others  from  ever  being  able 
to  secure  any  amount  due  them.  I  had  un- 
doubtedly a  lawful  right  to  protect  myself,  and 
no  doubt,  he  felt  confident  of  success  in  obtain- 

270 


ing  my  assistance,  on  account  of  the  large  sum 
he  owed  our  house.  Notwithstanding  the 
amount  at  stake,  when  I  realized  his  object,  I 
scorned  his  proposition,  preferring  loss  to  be- 
ing an  abettor  in  his  plan  to  defraud  those  who, 
like  myself,  had  trusted  and  assisted  him. 
After  others  attached  his  stock  we  did  the 
same,  and,  after  long  litigation,  succeeded  in 
recovering  about  one-third  of  the  amount  due. 

I  recall  how  one  Saturday  evening  I  had  been 
visiting  at  my  brother-in-law  Herman's  house, 
and,  when  passing  out  through  the  basement 
hall,  I  saw  a  huge  watermelon  protruding  from 
the  ice  chest,  preventing  the  lid  from  being 
closed.  Fearing  that  more  valuable  things 
might  be  spoiled  and  feeling,  as  usual,  in  an  ex- 
ceedingly obliging  mood,  I  took  the  water- 
melon with  me,  carefully  closing  the  box  to 
save  the  ice  from  melting.  Though  somewhat 
inconvenient,  I  generously  sacrificed  my  indi- 
vidual comfort,  and  carried  the  watermelon  to 
the  Eighth  Avenue  car,  as  we  had  a  much 
larger  chest,  and  could  more  readily  accommo- 
•date  it.  The  next  day  some  of  the  family,  in- 
stead of  thanking  me  for  my  consideration, 
complained  that  a  thief  had  stolen  their  splendid 
watermelon,  whereupon  I  made  up  my  mind 
that  in  future  I  would  be  less  thoughtful,  even 

271 


if  things  did  spoil.  We  enjoyed  the  stolen 
fruit,  and  when  we  informed  them  of  our  rich 
treat,  they  felt  rather  grieved,  and  did  not  seem 
to  appreciate  the  joke  to  the  same  extent  that 
we  did. 

During  the  year  1868,  a  Mr.  Wm.  Krouse 
and  a  friend  of  his  were  trying  to  negotiate  a 
loan  of  $100,000  on  bond  and  mortgage  upon 
some  Toledo  real  estate.  The  property  which 
they  offered  for  security  was  represented  by 
them  to  be  worth  double  the  amount  they 
wished  to  raise.  The  rate  of  interest  was  not 
a  question,  and  the  time  asked  was  for  five 
years.  They  promised  me  $5,000  if  I  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  the  amount.  They  were 
also  perfectly  willing  to  pay  12%  per  annum. 
The  first  party  that  I  found  able  and  willing 
to  lend  the  required  sum,  wanted  12%  and 
$5,000  for  their  lawyer,  who  was  to  go  to 
Toledo,  Ohio,  where  the  property  was  located. 
They  were  anxious  to  pay  me  5%  brokerage 
and  wanted  me  to  consummate  the  arrange- 
ment at  once,  but  I  felt  that  their  demand  was 
an  overcharge  and  determined  to  look  further. 
I  saw  other  monied  men  and  institutions.  One 
of  my  personal  friends  abundantly  able  and 
willing  to  accommodate  me,  and  who  had  just 
returned  from  Washington,  agreed  to  advance 

272 


the  money,  if  all  was  secured  beyond  a  doubt, 
and  the  charge  would  be  7^  per  annum  and 
S500  to  their  lawyer  for  the  expense  of  in- 
vestigating. The  sum  could  be  kept  as  long  as 
the  interest  was  paid.  This  was  a  most  satis- 
factory proposition,  and  as  the  security  was  in 
accordance  with  the  representation,  the  loan 
was  effected.  I  would  not  take  the  promised 
$5,000  as  I  never  intended  charging  them  any- 
thing. Shortly  after  I  received  word  that 
there  were  two  horses  at  the  railroad  depot  for 
me,  freight  paid.  They  had  taken  the  prize  at 
the  Michigan  State  Fair  for  being  the  hand- 
somest carriage  horses  in  the  state.  I  also 
received  an  order  for  a  carriage,  harness  and 
all  the  trappings  appertaining  thereto.  My 
family  enjoyed  them  for  about  six  months,  then 
they  were  sold,  and  we  were  as  delighted  to 
get  rid  of  them  as  we  were  at  receiving  them. 

The  first  day  I  offered  them  for  sale,  the 
first  person  to  whom  I  spoke  of  my  desire  to 
dispose  of  them  bought  them  at  my  price;  thus 
one  of  the  most  aristocratic  families  in  the  city 
became  their  owner.  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
to  send  them  to  the  country,  and  with  this  pur- 
pose in  view,  went  in  a  heavy  snow  storm  to 
the  stable  to  make  arrangements  for  their  de- 
parture, where  I  met  a  business  acquaintance 

273 


of  mine,  a  Mr.  Whitehouse,  who  was  there  to 
make  inquiries  about  a  carriage  team  for  his 
wife.  I  told  him  I  had  the  best  looking  pair 
of  horses  I  had  ever  seen,  and  I  could  safely 
recommend  them  as  being  the  slowest  and 
surest,  for  I  believed  that  if  a  cannon  were 
fired  they  would  simply  look  around  but  would 
not  move.  Mr.  Whitehouse  wanted  me  to  let 
him  send  my  horses  to  his  stable  to  show  them 
to  his  doctor  so  that  he  might  drive  them,  in 
order  to  decide  whether  he  would  keep  them  or 
not.  When  I  called  for  them  he  remarked: 
"They  are  my  horses,  I  will  send  you  my  check 
for  them."  My  carriage  was  also  sold  to  the 
manufacturer  for  a  big  price. 

Business  became  extremely  dull  after  the 
Civil  War  was  over,  and  the  stagnation  in- 
duced me  to  experiment  in  exporting  oil,  as  I 
was  informed  that  there  was  profit  in  the  un- 
dertaking. Accordingly  I  entered  into  an  ar- 
rangement with  my  friends,  the  Menkens,  and 
an  acquaintance  of  mine,  and  other  Menkens 
who  lived  in  Smyrna.  We  chartered  a  vessel 
and  loaded  it  with  oil,  which  we  had  put  up  in 
cans  ready  to  be  carried  by  camels  through  the 
country.  When  our  ship  reached  Smyrna  we 
found  that  there  was  a  large  overshipment  of 
oil,  nor  could  we  reship  our  stock  to  any  other 

274 


country,  as  the  expense  of  reshipping  would 
have  been  too  great,  and  would  have  meant  an 
immense  loss.  Our  partner  at  Smyrna  found 
no  market  for  the  product  owing  to  the 
quantity  already  received,  and  concluded  that 
it  would  be  far  better  to  store  the  oil  than  lose 
by  its  immediate  sale.  He  was  obliged  to 
keep  it  for  two  years  before  an  opportunity  of- 
fered to  sell  it ;  then  he  succeeded  in  disposing 
of  it,  and  realized  its  cost  and  interest,  with 
the  expenses  and  a  small  profit.  This  result 
was  not  sufficiently  tempting  to  induce  me  to 
experiment  any  further,  so  all  desire  to  con- 
tinue in  exporting  was  abandoned  after  this 
enterprise. 


On  one  occasion,  I  determined  to  do  a  little 
speculation  of  my  own  of  another  kind,  so  I 
went  into  Wall  Street.  After  passing  through 
a  sweating  process,  at  last  I  settled  on  Western 
Union  and  bought  200  shares  at  72.  Inside 
of  60  days  Western  Union  sold  at  47^.  I 
held  it  until  I  received  word  from  brother 
Henry  to  sell  out  his  Western  Union  for  about 
72^,  and  then  left  word  also  to  sell  out  my 
last  purchase  at  75,  which  price  was  obtained 

275 


in  a  day  or  so.  I  was  also  ordered  to  sell  out 
100  shares  which  Louis  Stix  &  Co.  had  bought 
in  i860  or  thereabouts,  for  101,  and  received 
85  for  them.  From  i860  to  1873  Western 
Union  did  not  average  1  %  per  annum.  Since 
then  it  has  paid  its  dividends  regularly,  and  has 
been  more  than  doubled.  I  believe,  had  I  held 
my  stock  purchased  at  that  time,  it  would  be 
worth,  allowing  6%  interest,  not  only  twice, 
but  thrice  as  much  as  I  paid  for  it.  I  did  as 
well  with  Western  Union  as  I  did  with  all  my 
stock  speculations. 

Here  is  an  equally  successful  one.  About 
1890,  I  subscribed  for  $5,000  worth  of  con- 
struction stock  in  the  Southern  Rio  Grande, 
which  paid  two  for  one,  considering  what  the 
stock  sold  for  at  the  time  in  the  market.  I 
divided  with  some  of  my  children,  who  had 
money  at  their  disposal.  To-day  the  road  is  in 
the  hands  of  a  receiver.  I  look  upon  this  in- 
vestment as  still  worth  its  cost.  About  1893 
I  bought  500  shares  of  this  stock  for  $12,500 
which  at  present  is  worth  little,  still  I  believe 
it  will  turn  out  better  than  it  now  appears.  I 
also  purchased  in  1880,  100  shares  of  San 
Francisco  for  50,  then  changed  it  for  Atchi- 
son, three  for  four,  and  have  since  bought  100 
of  the  same  for  28  a  share,  which  I  could  have 

276 


sold  three  years  ago  for  40.  Instead  of  doing 
so  however,  I  bought  another  100  for  25  a 
share.  Together  they  cost  me  over  $10,000 
and  the  interest  would  double  the  price.  They 
are  worth  to-day  about  4 — about  Si,  100  in  all. 
I  also  invested  in  silver  mining  stock  about 
$12,000,  on  which  I  have  realized  only  by  sell- 
ing $2,000  ;  the  balance  is  worthless.  My  loss 
in  silver  mines  and  Atchison,  with  interest, 
amounts  to  about  $40,000. 

I  was  one  of  the  subscribers  in  the  Dry 
Goods  Bank.  After  paying  6%  for  a  few 
years,  its  affairs  were  wound  up,  yielding  but 
80  cents  on  the  dollar.  I  also  subscribed  $5,- 
000  to  the  Real  Estate  Trust  Co.,  and  later  in- 
creased my  investment.  The  interest  was  only 
paid  a  few  years.  Computing  at  4%,  it  should 
have  been  double  its  value  when  I  exchanged 
it  for  $3,000  worth  of  stock  in  the  Manhattan 
Trust  Co.,  which  paid  interest  after  a  year  or 
so  at  the  rate  of  6^.  The  Sherman  Bank  in- 
vestment, $4,500,  has  never  paid  any  interest, 
and  in  winding  up  will  not  even  pay  anything 
to  investors,  while  their  capital,  I  believe,  is 
utterly  lost. 


277 


SOON  after  taking  up  my  residence  in  New 
York,  I  felt  inclined  to  give  something  to 
charity.  With  this  object  in  view,  I  went  on 
Thanksgiving  Day  to  the  Five  Points  Mission. 
At  the  meeting,  the  minister  called  upon  those 
present  for  assistance,  and  thanked  all  who  had 
before  contributed  for  their  liberal  donations, 
and  then  made  the  following  remark:  "And 
all  this  is  done  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ/' 
After  the  meeting  was  over,  I  did  not  give  the 
amount  I  had  intended.  The  day  following  I 
wrote  a  letter  explaining  why  I  did  not  think 
they  would  care  for  money  which  came  from 
me,  referring  to  the  lecture  on  the  preceding 
day.  My  letter  fell  into  the  hands  of  one  of 
the  officers,  who  wrote  me  a  beautiful  answer, 
stating  that  they  felt  thankful  to  me,  and  that 
they  were  doing  the  best  they  could  to  accom- 
plish the  most  good.  I  have  preserved  this 
reply  among  my  papers. 

About  this  time  my  neighbor,  a  Mr.  Green, 
called  upon  me  at  14th  street,  to  ask  me  to 
become  a  member  of  the  Bible  Society  at  $10 

278 


per  year.  I  joined  at  his  request,  and  paid  my 
dues  annually  for  quite  a  succession  of  years. 
One  evening  Mr.  Green  called  to  see  me  to 
apologize  for  having  taken  my  money  for  this 
object,  as  he  had  just  learned  that  I  was  a  Jew. 
I  told  him  that  he  was  perfectly  welcome  to 
what  I  had  given  and  that  I  would  give  him 
more  cheerfully,  if  he  could  convert  all  the  bad 
Jews  to  be  good  Christians.  He  reported  me 
to  the  society,  and  although  they  expressed 
themselves  as  admiring  my  liberal  spirit,  yet 
they  have  not  since  called  for  my  dues  as  a 
member,  or  for  any  other  donation. 

On  the  evening  after  the  great  Chicago  fire, 
having  just  returned  from  an  eastern  trip,  I 
went  into  one  of  the  ward  meetings  which 
were  being  held  all  over  the  city.  Addresses 
were  made  and  citizens  were  appealed  to  for 
assistance,  to  help  their  neighbors  and  friends 
in  this  calamity.  A  committee  was  appointed 
to  collect  then  and  there.  As  this  was  in  one 
of  the  poor  districts,  situated  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  city,  nearly  every  one  gave,  or  signed, 
according  to  his  full  ability;  yet  the  contribu- 
tions were  not  very  large.  Some  jolly  fellow 
wanted  to  know  why  I  did  not  give  something. 
Expecting  to  be  called  on  by  a  dry  goods  com- 
mittee, I  did  not  intend  to  assist  on  this  occa- 

279 


sion,  but  finding  it  difficult  to  explain  my  posi- 
tion, I  signed  for  $100.  This  was  the  largest 
subscription  on  the  list,  and  when  the  amount 
was  read,  one  enthusiastic  individual  called  out, 
"A  few  more  donations  like  that  will  help  to 
pay  for  the  fire."  Next  day  the  dry  goods 
committee  waited  upon  me  and  abused  me  for 
sharp  practice,  considering  my  action  a  yankee 
trick  to  get  off  cheap.  They  taxed  me  with  the 
proper  amount  and  credited  me  with  my  sub- 
scription. 

It  has  been  a  pleasure  and  a  privilege  for 
me  to  assist  others,  not  for  the  sake  of  gain, 
but  to  help  them  in  business.  This  I  have 
done  to  a  great  extent.  Although  I  have  been 
conservative  all  my  life,  I  have  not  been  so  to 
my  relatives,  but  I  have  treated  them  with  a 
generosity  not  always  most  beneficial  to  them, 
as  has  been  demonstrated  by  certain  results. 
I  have  always  made  it  a  point  of  honor  and 
duty  to  be  prompt  in  my  payments,  and  my 
wealth  has  been  considerably  overestimated 
in  consequence. 


After  a  partnership  which  lasted  for  twenty 
years  with  my  sister's  husband,  J.  L.  Swarts, 

280 


he  died.  He  was  a  self-made  man,  hard  work- 
ing and  industrious.  An  excellent  son,  brother, 
father  and  husband.  Though  frugal  himself, 
he  greatly  enjoyed  the  exercise  of  hospitality 
to  others,  and  was  liberal  to  all.  It  gave  him 
great  joy  to  see  others  enjoy  themselves,  and 
particularly  his  own  dear  ones.  He  paid  the 
greatest  attention  to  parents  and  endeavored  to 
please  them.  He  made  it  his  study  to  have 
plenty  of  the  best,  and  the  larger  the  crowd  the 
better  he  liked  it.  Waste  however  displeased 
him.  He  was  extravagant  in  spending  money 
for  education.  He  had  the  best  of  teachers, 
and  the  price  was  no  consideration.  He  was 
well  rewarded  for  this,  as  he  saw  his  children 
very  well  educated,  and  musically  accomplished. 
Though  we  were  partners  for  twenty  years,  we 
never  really  disagreed.  Our  opinions  some- 
times differed.  While  I  was  of  a  disposition 
to  insist  on  having  my  own  way,  even  if  he 
differed,  he  never  let  it  go  so  far  as  to  make  it 
unpleasant.  He  had  very  warm  friends,  and 
his  word  was  never  doubted.  His  help  were 
always  treated  in  the  most  generous  way,  and 
he  never  thought  himself  above  any  of  his  men 
with  whom  he  worked.  He  was  liberal  to  the 
trade.  He  respected  and  loved  his  own  family. 
He  particularly  made  it  his  duty  to  take  as 

281 


much  of  the  burden  from  his  wife's  shoulders 
as  he  could.  He  kept  away  from  anyone  who 
tried  to  take  advantage  of  him.  He  was  a 
good  business  man,  and  had  excellent  judg- 
ment— he  never  liked  a  lazy  man,  as  he  was 
very  active  and  industrious  himself. 


On  a  trip  from  Cincinnati  to  New  York 
with  a  friend,  we  occupied  a  state-room,  which 
was  about  the  only  place  where  we  were  per- 
mitted to  smoke.  A  gentleman  knocked  at  the 
door,  and  asked  for  permission  to  sit  in  our 
room  while  he  smoked  his  cigar.  We  invited 
him  to  enter,  gave  him  a  seat,  and  made  him 
welcome.  We  soon  discovered,  however,  that 
the  odor  from  his  cigar  was  quite  strong  and 
objectionable.  We  begged  him  to  throw  it 
away,  and  take  in  its  place  one  of  ours,  which 
were  excellent.  He  explained  that  he  had  used 
up  his  own  and  had  been  obliged  to  get  some 
at  Pittsburg,  not  at  all  to  his  taste.  We  gladly 
passed  him  ours  and  urged  him  to  help  him- 
self. The  conversation  turned  upon  the 
judges,  to  the  number  of  about  a  half-dozen, 
who  had  just  been  charged  with  accepting 

282 


bribes  in  New  York  City,  and  I  remarked  that, 
"Any  judge,  governor  or  public  officer  who 
accepts  bribes  in  any  shape  or  form,  should 
be  tried  before  the  highest  tribunal,  and,  if 
found  guilty,  should  be  convicted  and  sentenced 
to  the  penitentiary  for  life."  In  the  course  of 
general  conversation  I  also  said,  that  "I 
thought  any  judge  of  the  higher  courts  should 
receive  no  less  than  $25,000,  and  others  in  pro- 
portion; while  a  governor,  like  the  one  in 
Ohio,  I  would  not  dream  of  offering  a  salary 
less  than  $25,000."  The  gentleman  agreed 
with  me  and  said  that  I  was  right,  and  if  this 
were  the  law  it  might  benefit  him  before  he 
was  a  year  older,  for  he  expected  to  be  the  next 
nominee  of  the  Republican  party  for  the  office 
of  governor  of  the  state  of  Ohio.  We  urged 
him  to  give  us  his  name  and  he  replied  that  it 
was  "Noyes,"  leaving  out  his  title  of  "Gen- 
eral." He  walked  on  a  wooden  leg,  and,  al- 
though he  was  modest,  not  claiming  his  mili- 
tary honor,  yet  we  felt  convinced  as  to  his 
identity,  and  were  pleased  to  have  met  so 
charming  a  gentleman.  Next  time  I  was  in 
Cincinnati  in  the  office  of  my  friend  and  at- 
torney, Mr.  Kebler,  he  remarked  to  me,  "Gen- 
eral Noyes,  just  elected  Governor,  wishes  me 
to  send  for  you  to  meet  him."    I  was,  of  course, 

283 


extremely  pleased  to  again  have  the  honor. 

At  the  same  time,  my  old  and  true  friend, 
Judge  Stallo,  also  left  word  that  he  wished  to 
see  me.  His  wife  was  one  of  the  most  lovely 
and  respected  ladies  it  has  ever  been  my  priv- 
ilege to  become  acquainted  with,  and  I  recall 
many  delightful  evenings  spent  at  their  hos- 
pitable home.  At  the  beginning  of  my  busi- 
ness career,  Judge  Stallo  was  my  attorney,  but 
he  was  so  busy,  and  my  legal  requirements  so 
insignificant,  that  when  Mr.  McCook  became 
his  partner,  I  gave  up  troubling  him,  as  he 
never  would  make  any  charge  for  his  services. 
However,  when  Stix  &  Wallach  found  them- 
selves, as  a  result  of  Mr.  Wallach's  gambling, 
in  an  extremely  critical  condition,  it  was  neces- 
sary for  us  to  dissolve  or  be  completely  ruined. 
I  naturally  desired  to  consult  my  old  friend  and 
legal  adviser,  Judge  Stallo.  Unfortunately  he 
was  not  in  the  city,  nor  was  he  expected  to 
return  for  some  time  to  come.  It  was  then, 
as  I  have  before  stated,  that  I  met  Mr.  Keb- 
ler,  who  not  only  became  my  attorney  in 
the  settlement  with  my  creditors,  but  from 
that  time  on  an  esteemed  and  lifelong  friend; 
while  my  social  relations  were  no  less  agreeable 
with  his  family.  Mr.  Kebler's  conduct  toward 
me  on  many  occasions  was  so  nobly  disin- 

284 


terested,  that  I  desired  to  present  him  with 
some  small  evidence  of  my  regard  for  his 
courtesies,  a  word  which  hardly  expresses  the 
extent  of  his  consideration,  for  he  made  no 
charge  for  anything  he  did  for  me  individually, 
and  was  exceedingly  moderate  in  his  fees  for 
services  rendered  the  firm.  His  strongest  ef- 
forts appeared  to  be  in  the  direction  of  dis- 
suading me  from  litigation  and  its  heavy  ex- 
penses. Mrs.  Kebler  called  and  invited  me  to 
her  house  on  one  occasion  to  meet  mutual 
friends,  who  were  to  assemble  to  celebrate  Mr. 
Kebler's  birthday.  Gladly  accepting,  I  asked 
her  at  the  same  time,  if  she  could  prove  a  good 
mason  by  keeping  a  secret.  She  seemed  to 
think  it  possible,  and,  moreover,  promised  to 
do  so  in  this  instance.  I  therefore  showed  her 
a  fine  gold  watch  which  I  had  ordered,  with  the 
intention  of  presenting  it  to  her  husband  as  a 
gift  from  our  firm,  not  only  in  recognition  of  his 
eminent  legal  services,  but  for  the  kind  and  con- 
siderate manner  in  which  they  had  been  ren- 
dered. I  also  said  that  I  could  find  no  more 
appropriate  occasion  than  at  this  birthday 
party  to  make  my  presentation. 

When  the  hour  arrived,  my  old  friend  seemed 
so  overwhelmed  by  this  unexpected  gift  that, 
stout-hearted  as  he  was,  he  became  unnerved, 

285 


and  was  hardly  able  to  reply  to  the  few  words 
I  had  spoken  when  presenting  it.  Indeed,  he 
begged  to  be  excused,  as  he  was  too  deeply  af- 
fected to  express  himself  verbally,  but  hoped  to 
do  so  more  creditably  by  letter.  I  am  pleased 
to  say  that  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century 
I  have  assisted  Mrs.  Kebler  in  her  charities 
with  my  own  contributions,  and  also  those 
which  I  have  obtained  from  one  of  my  friends, 
Mr.  George  Clark,  who  has  always  shown  him- 
self liberally  disposed.  At  one  time,  Mr.  Clark 
met  with  large  pecuniary  losses,  which  made 
me  somewhat  reluctant  to  call  upon  him  as 
theretofore,  when  he  was  in  more  flourishing 
circumstances.  I  proposed  to  him  that  he 
should  lessen  his  gift,  or  even  omit  it  entirely, 
as  I  was  aware  of  his  big  loss.  To  this  propo- 
sition he  replied,  "My  charities  shall  not  suffer 
on  account  of  my  lessened  income,  and  I  beg 
that  you  will  have  the  kindness  to  come  to  me 
as  in  the  past  for  any  assistance  I  may  be  able 
to  render."  This  instance  of  generosity  was 
but  one  of  many  it  has  been  my  privilege  to 
witness.  It  is  seldom  in  this  cold  world  that 
we  meet  with  men  of  so  broad  and  liberal  a  na- 
ture, that  they  will  continue  giving  to  those  in 
need  when  they  themselves  feel  the  depressing 
influences  of  an  unsatisfactory  balance  sheet. 

286 


MY  real  estate  speculations  have  always  in- 
terested me,  and  so  I  state  that  at  one 
time  or  another,  I  acquired  the  following  pieces 
of  real  estate.  The  northwest  corner  of  7th 
Avenue  and  1 1 2th  Street,  for  which  I  paid  $10,- 
875,  and  which  I  have  since  sold  at  a  loss  ex- 
ceeding $22,000  figured  on  a  basis  of  what  it 
cost  me  to  carry  the  property.  Also  two  ad- 
joining lots  on  1 1 2th  Street,  for  $8,480  which 
I  have  since  sold  at  a  loss  of  more  than  $16,500 
figured  on  the  same  basis.  A  lot  25  x  100  on 
110th  Street,  300  feet  east  of  8th  Avenue,  at 
a  cost  of  $12,850.  Two  small  brick  houses  on 
Amsterdam  Avenue  between  152nd  and  153rd 
streets  each  igy2  x  100  feet  deep  for  $6,750 
each.  At  the  same  time  I  bought  a  mate  to 
the  two  houses  above  mentioned  on  the  same 
block  at  the  same  price,  within  20  feet  of  the 
corner  of  153rd  street.  I  bought  a  house  on 
152nd  street,  with  three  lots  on  152nd  street 
and  three  lots  in  the  rear,  for  $23,532.75  and 
sold  the  plot,  as  bought,  to  Colonel  Fellows,  for 
$27,500  which  was  at  a  loss  of  $15,000  figured 

287 


on  a  basis  of  what  it  cost  me  to  carry  the 
property.  I  bought  one  lot  25  x  100  on  River- 
side Drive,  the  price  paid  $12,38473.  The  lot 
is  right  opposite  General  Grant's  tomb. 
Bradhurst  Estate,  southeast  corner  of  Amster- 
dam avenue  and  148th  street,  50  x  100  feet, 
was  bought  by  me  at  auction  in  the  spring  of 
1873  for  $10,740.  I  bought  two  lots  running 
100  feet  east  from  8th  avenue,  from  110th 
street  to  111th  street,  25  x  200  feet,  for  $14,- 
957.92.  I  bought,  in  company  with  Leopold 
Friedman  of  Lispenard  and  Friedman,  and  a 
Spaniard,  Gonzalas,  the  corner  of  111th  street 
and  Eighth  avenue,  three  lots  at  the  northwest 
corner,  with  two  adjoining  lots  on  the  street, 
for  $35,717.50,  on  which,  when  I  sold  it  ten 
years  later,  my  loss  stood  me  at  $11,000.  I 
purchased  two  lots  at  159th  street  and  the 
Boulevard  50  x  75  with  a  small  cottage  upon 
them  for  $4,000.  My  loss  on  real  estate  in 
the  city  of  New  York  amounts  to  about  $170,- 
000;  while  my  gain  is  $10,000,  exclusive  of  my 
wife's  house  on  14th  street.  My  present  resi- 
dence No.  35  West  71st  Street,  would  probably 
not  bring  what  I  paid  for  it,  if  it  had  to  be  sold ; 
but  as  I  have  always  enjoyed  it,  I  will  not  sell 
it  as  long  as  I  can  afford  to  occupy  it,  which  I 
expect  to  do  during  the  remainder  of  my  life. 

288 


It  was  in  1872  I  bought  a  piece  of  land  for 
about  $10,000  which  has  since  cost  me  more 
than  four  times  that  amount.  I  leased  it  to  a 
Mrs.  Winter  at  $100  per  annum  for  five  years. 
She  moved  quite  a  respectable  frame  house  on 
the  land,  but  though  she  occupied  my  lots  for 
22  years,  I  never  raised  her  rent.  She  was 
worth  some  thousands  of  dollars,  placed  out  on 
mortgage,  which  was  paid  off  in  greenbacks  at 
her  house.  She  carried  this  sum  to  her  sav- 
ings bank  and  placed  the  money  for  deposit 
on  the  counter.  Some  thief  watched  his  op- 
portunity, snatched  it,  and  ran  away.  Since 
then,  I  have  taken  on  deposit  what  little  money 
she  has,  and  pay  her  one  per  cent  more  inter- 
est than  the  bank  would  give  her.  She  had 
about  $800  insurance  on  .the  house  standing 
upon  my  lot  and  $800  more  upon  another,  for 
which  she  pays  ground  rent  to  a  friend  of  mine. 
I  found  out  that  her  premium  for  insuring 
each  house  was  about  $5  per  annum.  I  told 
her  that  I  would  attend  to  it  and  send  her  the 
bill.  I  paid  on  $800  for  five  years  $4.50. 
Sometime  in  the  nineties,  my  bookkeeper 
asked  me  whether  he  should  write  Mrs.  Winter 
about  her  insurance  coming  due,  but  I  told 
him  the  better  way  would  be  to  renew  it,  and 
charge  her  with  the  amount.    When  next  she 

289 


came  to  my  office,  I  was  quite  busy  and  did  not 
at  first  address  her,  but  as  I  turned  toward 
her,  she  burst  out  crying,  and  between  her  sobs 
said,  "My  house  on  Seline's  lot  burnt  down 
last  night  and  my  insurance  upon  it  ran  out 
some  months  ago.  I  am  the  most  unfortunate 
woman  alive  to  have  neglected  attending  to 
it,  and  I  feel  terribly  about  it."  I  had  hard 
work  to  calm  her  and  remembering  that  my 
bookkeeper  had  spoken  to  me  about  Mrs.  Win- 
ter's insurance,  I  at  once  requested  him  to  look 
over  the  books,  and  then  I  found  that  the  policy 
had  been  renewed.  You  can  well  imagine  her 
delight.  I  cannot  describe  her  happy  surprise, 
and  extreme  thankfulness.  I  never  witnessed 
such  a  change  in  any  person  in  so  short  a  time. 
It  was  as  if  from  the  depth  of  despair  she  had 
been  suddenly  transferred  to  the  summit  of 
joy.  Long  after  this  event  she  met  Mr.  S. 
W.  Weiss,  and  remarked,  "Your  father-in-law, 
Mr.  Louis  Stix,  has  done  more  for  me  than 
my  own  father  ever  did/'  Such  a  compliment 
coming  from  a  grateful  heart  was  a  sufficient 
reward. 

I  have  sometimes  been  told  that  I  interfered 
too  much  in  other  people's  business.  Possibly 
this  may  be  so.  But  I  found  great  satisfaction 
and  recompense  in  having  done  so  in  this  in- 

290 


stance  and  in  many  others,  for  I  consider  this 
true  charity.  I  have  had  sufficient  encourage- 
ment from  the  results  obtained  to  continue 
doing  so  until  the  end  of  my  life. 


After  one  of  the  Harmonie  entertainments, 
my  friend  Mr.  Forchheimer's  wife,  my  niece 
Bertha  Herman,  and  my  wife,  left  the  club 
after  midnight  in  our  carriage.  It  was  a  clear 
cold  night.  The  milkmen  were  already  mak- 
ing their  rounds.  On  the  way,  and  within  one 
or  two  blocks  of  the  stables  that  furnished 
our  club  with  vehicles,  one  of  the  horses  fell 
and  broke  our  carriage  tongue.  The  driver 
begged  me  to  hold  his  team  while  he  went  for 
another  tongue,  which  he  promised  to  bring 
in  a  few  minutes.  I  accepted  this  task,  totally 
unconscious  of  the  difficulties  which  would 
arise  in  executing  it.  I  soon  became  aware 
of  my  serious  mistake  in  consenting  to  this 
arrangement,  for  a  milk  wagon  came  rattling 
along,  and  the  horses  which  I  held,  became 
restless  and  were  shivering  with  the  cold.  I 
could  think  of  no  way  to  keep  the  carriage 
from  running  against  their  legs.    The  horses 

291 


commenced  kicking  and  rearing,  striking  fire 
every  time  their  hoofs  struck  the  stones.  Al- 
though I  held  them  by  the  bridle,  every  time 
they  reared  they  nearly  lifted  me  from  the 
ground.  Fortunately  I  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  get  the  ladies  out  of  the  carriage 
before  I  took  hold  of  the  horses,  so  Mrs.  David 
Forchheimer  and  my  niece  ran  to  Herman's 
house,  which  was  only  a  block  from  the  scene 
of  the  accident.  My  wife  remained  with  me, 
and  when  I  asked  her  to  try  and  find  a  stone 
and  put  it  under  the  wheel,  she  did  it  like  a 
heroine.  A  milkman  was  passing  upon  whom 
I  called  for  help,  but  he  paid  no  heed  and  drove 
on.  By  constantly  rearing,  the  horses  finally 
kicked  themselves  loose  from  the  harness,  and 
after  they  were  free  they  gave  me  no  further 
trouble,  but  were  easily  managed.  If  I  had 
been  unable  to  hold  them,  they  would  have 
probably  been  badly  injured,  and  the  carriage 
undoubtedly  would  have  been  broken  into 
splinters.  When  the  driver  returned  with  the 
carriage  tongue,  I  was  only  too  glad  to  be 
relieved  from  such  an  arduous  and  perilous 
undertaking  as  I  had  been  engaged  in.  I  then 
walked  to  Herman's  house,  where  I  found 
Mrs.  Forchheimer.  I  escorted  her  home  from 
there,  taking  the  car.    Mr.  Weinstock,  who 

292 


was  the  owner  of  the  restive  horses  and  of  the 
carriage,  felt  very  grateful  to  me  for  saving 
him  from  a  heavy  loss,  and  thanked  me  for 
displaying  such  courage  and  fortitude.  Per- 
sonally I  have  always  regarded  my  conduct  on 
this  occasion  as  unprecedented  foolhardiness, 
totally  unworthy  of  any  credit  for  good  sense 
or  wise,  mature  judgment.  To-day,  in  review- 
ing the  scene,  I  can  most  assuredly  declare 
that  I  would  permit  a  dozen  carriages  to  be 
shattered  into  fragments,  rather  than  run  the 
risk  of  life  and  limb  which  I  did  that  even- 
ing. 


293 


AT  one  time  the  Board  of  Directors  of 
Mount  Sinai  Hospital  called  a  meeting  of 
their  patrons  and  members  to  discuss  and  ad- 
vise concerning  their  financial  difficulties. 
Two  propositions  were  submitted  for  consider- 
ation and  action :  either  to  raise  $75,000  by  vol- 
untary subscription,  or  by  means  of  a  fair.  I, 
with  many  others,  strongly  opposed  the  second 
plan.  We  did  not  relish  the  idea  of  going 
among  our  business  friends  to  tax  them  and 
solicit  first,  money  and  goods,  and  then  their 
patronage  in  the  undertaking.  The  ladies,  al- 
ways hard  workers  in  the  way  of  charities,  like 
myself,  were  greatly  averse  to  the  fair.  I,  ac- 
cordingly, promised  my  full  cooperation  in 
collecting  the  required  amount  among  our  co- 
religionists. While  I  had  excellent  success, 
others,  just  as  earnest  and  efficient,  were  less 
fortunate  in  results,  so  that  out  of  $75,000,  the 
required  amount  for  which  we  had  pledged  our 
time  and  efforts,  we  secured  but  $50,000.  Af- 
ter many  meetings,  I  was  finally  persuaded  to 
join  in  getting  up  a  fair.  The  whole  Jewish 
community  united  in  advancing  the  enterprise, 

294 


myself  included,  and  after  three  weeks  of  untir- 
ing energy  and  perseverance,  we  realized  nearly 
$200,000.  The  table  with  which  I  was  more 
especially  connected  was  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful financially.  I  spent  every  evening  at 
the  fair  with  my  family  until  it  closed. 

The  fair  was  nearly  over,  when  I  proposed 
giving  the  proceeds  of  the  night  before  the  last, 
to  the  St.  John's  Guild.  One  of  the  directors 
made  the  answer  that  they  could  not  and  would 
not  do  so,  as  every  dollar  was  needed  for  our 
work.  I  rebelled  and  complained  against  the 
officers  of  the  hospital,  charging  them  with 
false  representation  in  misleading  the  public. 
At  first  $75,000  was  all  that  was  required,  and 
now  since  we  had  over  $200,000  they  claimed 
this  was  just  the  amount  wanted.  When  I 
took  this  attitude  and  accused  the  Board  of 
unfair  dealing  and  want  of  reliability,  some  of 
the  members  who  concurred  with  my  views, 
called  a  caucus  on  the  spot  and  nominated 
Isaac  Blumenthal,  Hyman  Blum  and  myself 
as  candidates  for  places  on  the  Board  of  Di- 
rectors. A  few  days  later  the  oppostion  in  the 
Board  called  another  caucus  in  one  of  their 
clubs,  and  nominated  an  opposition  Board,  with 
only  about  three  of  the  twenty-one  old  directors 
among  the  nominees.    At  the  next  election 

295 


the  opposition  took  such  an  active  interest,  that 
they  sent  conveyances  to  all  the  clubs,  and  to 
any  place  where  they  thought  they  would  find 
those  inclined  to  vote  their  ticket.  The  ticket 
on  which  I  ran  was  elected,  and  the  new  di- 
rectors immediately  went  to  work.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  Mount  Sinai  Hospital  was  the 
pet  institution  among  our  people,  and  a  general 
favorite  throughout  the  city.  The  old  Board 
used  about  $30,000  a  year,  while  our  expenses 
have  increased  to  four  times  thirty  thousand 
dollars  annually.  If  we  had  the  room  and  fa- 
cilities, we  would  double  our  work.  O.ur 
proper  capacity  is  less  than  200,  but  we  often 
have  10%  more,  and  our  dispensary  work  has 
grown  tenfold.  We  have  paid  for  the  dispen- 
sary building  about  $125,000;  have  over  $200,- 

000  in  loans  on  bond  and  mortgage,  and  usu- 
ally about  $25,000  with  our  treasurer;  $10,000 
being  in  special  funds,  such  as  the  children's 
and  convalescents'  funds.  The  interest  on  the 
latter  we  use  to  give  help  to  patients  discharged 
from  the  hospital  who  have  no  means  of  their 
own. 

When  I  first  became  a  director,  I  was  thor- 
oughly alive,  active,  energetic  and  enthusiastic. 

1  was  especially  successful  in  my  efforts  to  se- 
cure members.    Considering  myself  in  certain 

296 


respects  unequal  to  any  of  my  colleagues,  I 
determined  to  excel  them  in  this  regard,  and 
accomplished  more  than  any  of  the  others  in 
this  particular  department.  When  Mr.  Louis 
Gans  became  a  director  he  doubled  my  number ; 
and  Mr.  Simon  Rothschild  secured  more  than 
the  whole  Board  put  together,  Louis  Gans  and 
myself  included,  after  he  was  elected  an  officer. 
Personally  I  have  expressed  a  wish  to  retire 
from  the  Board  of  Directors  to  let  younger 
blood  take  my  place.  Frequently  I  have  pro- 
posed others  to  take  my  place,  feeling  that  of 
late  I  have  been  but  of  little  benefit  to  the  insti- 
tution; but  the  Board  would  not  accede  to  my 
request.  The  only  complaint  I  have  to  make 
against  them  is  their  election  of  me  as  one  of 
the  officers  of  the  training  school.  I  resigned 
from  both  the  Hospital  Board  and  the  training 
school  but  was  weak  enough  to  be  persuaded 
to  remain  on  the  former.  I  have  been  a  di- 
rector about  twenty  years  and  feel  highly  hon- 
ored to  have  been  so  long  associated  with  the 
members  of  the  Board. 

During  the  year  1878,  the  different  charita- 
ble organizations  made  arrangements  to  copy 
as  far  as  possible  the  English  method  of  col- 
lection to  assist  hospitals,  and  inaugurated 
what  has  ever  since  been  known  as  the  Hospital 

297 


Saturday  and  Sunday  Association.  Although 
this  plan  was  intended  more  particularly  to 
benefit  corporations  which  were  not  self  sup- 
porting, yet  the  New  York  Hospital  and  Roose- 
velt Hospital  also  joined  the  combination,  and 
Roosevelt  Hospital  afterward  accepted  its  pro- 
portionate share  of  collections.  The  plan  pro- 
posed was  that  any  person  could  donate  a 
sum  to  the  general  fund,  or  the  special  institu- 
tion could  be  designated  to  which  any  prefer- 
ence was  given,  by  the  party  making  such 
donation.  An  immense  amount  of  good  was 
done  in  this  manner.  The  division  of  the 
funds  was  to  be  in  proportion  to  the  number 
of  hospital  days  each  institution  had  furnished 
free.  The  Committee  to  disburse  the  money 
was  composed  of  the  Mayor  of  the  city,  the 
President  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
Postmaster,  and  other  persons  occupying  prom- 
inent social  and  political  positions.  The  en- 
terprise was  one  of  universal  benefit,  totally 
non-sectarian.  Thus  all  races  and  creeds  are 
afforded  an  opportunity  to  assist  in  a  truly 
philanthropic  enterprise,  and  enable  the  vari- 
ous hospitals  to  carry  on  their  benevolent  work 
more  effectually  by  securing  additional  means 
according  to  the  necessities  of  each. 

The  Mount  Sinai  Hospital  Board  not  only 
298 


approved  of  this  arrangement,  but  promised  to 
make  every  effort  to  render  the  undertaking  a 
success.  To  effect  this  result,  in  which  we  took 
such  a  deep  interest,  all  united  in  an  earnest 
endeavor,  and  I  put  my  shoulder  to  the  wheel, 
and  did  all  in  my  power  to  accomplish  the 
greatest  amount  of  good  where  the  most  was 
needed.  Our  Board  sent  out  a  circular  to  our 
co-religionists,  urging  them  to  make  their  do- 
nations to  the  general  fund,  and  not  to  desig- 
nate any  one  or  more  particular  charities, 
Our  people  approved  of  this  liberal  spirit  and 
acted  in  accordance  with  the  request.  The 
collections  from  our  people  have  counted  up 
to  about  a  million  of  dollars,  whereas  Mount 
Sinai  Hospital  has  received  only  the  smallest 
share  by  designation;  less  than  one  hundred 
dollars  I  believe,  since  the  organization  of  the 
fund;  while  our  proportion  from  the  general 
fund  averages  one  of  the  largest  paid  over  to 
any  of  the  institutions  thus  united.  Ever  since 
the  inauguration  of  the  association  I  have  called 
upon  my  numerous  friends  and  acquaintances, 
and  have,  individually,  been  able  to  collect  the 
fifteenth  part  of  the  whole  sum,  although  not 
less  than  500  persons  have  assisted  in  the  noble 
work,  among  whom  might  be  named  about  100 
ministers   of   churches.    In   performing  my 

299 


self-imposed,  yet  pleasant  duty,  I  have,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  been  received  in  the  most 
beautiful  way  by  those  to  whom  I  have  applied. 
One  year  I  failed  to  visit  one  of  my  old  patrons, 
because  he  had  retired  from  business  and  was 
confined  to  the  sick  room.  His  usual  subscrip- 
tion was  $100  per  annum.  When  the  next 
payment  became  due,  this  friend,  George  Byrd, 
of  his  own  accord,  doubled  the  amount  he  had 
previously  contributed. 

Returning  to  the  subject  of  the  fair,  from 
which  I  have  slightly  digressed,  in  dwelling 
for  some  time  upon  the  subject  of  the  directors 
of  the  hospital,  I  will  relate  another  little  cir- 
cumstance which  I  recall  in  connection  with 
this  enterprise.  One  of  my  most  intimate 
friends  came  in,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
another  lady.  He  had  already  invested  quite 
a  liberal  amount  but  I  was  not  there  at  the 
time,  and  had  returned  in  order  to  meet  him. 
He  then  told  me  that  the  amiability  and  perse- 
verance of  the  ladies  had  induced  him  to  spend 
considerably  more  money  than  he  had  carried 
with  him  for  that  purpose,  although  he  had 
come  prepared  to  spend  extensively.  I  then 
insisted  that  each  of  the  ladies  under  my 
friend's  escort,  should  accept  a  bouquet  from 
me.    Accordingly  I  visited  the  flower  stand, 

300 


with  this  purpose  in  view.  The  young  lady 
in  charge  of  the  flowers  showed  me  some  bou- 
quets for  which  she  asked  five  dollars  each. 
Then  I  inquired  whether  those  were  the  best 
she  had  for  sale.  Quickly  s*he  saw  the  oppor- 
tunity, and  seized  it  by  displaying  for  my  ad- 
miration a  far  handsomer  bouquet,  which  sold, 
if  my  memory  is  not  at  fault,  for  three  times 
the  amount  already  named.  Under  the  cir- 
cumstances there  was  no  choice  left  me.  I 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  select  the  best  she 
offered,  to  present  to  the  ladies.  My  friend, 
who  had  already  spent  generously,  insisted  on 
my  lending  him  a  hundred  dollars,  of  which 
very  little  was  left  when  he  started  home. 

After  the  fair  in  which  I  had  taken  such  a 
deep  interest,  was  over,  I  did  not  know  how 
to  spend  my  evenings.  I  heard  that  there  was 
another  fair  in  operation,  so  I  went  there  and 
found  it  a  decided  failure.  The  young  ladies 
were  quite  discouraged  and  hesitated  to  ad- 
dress any  one  who  entered,  having  been  refused 
so  often.  While  I  was  looking  around,  a  young 
girl  took  courage  and  asked  me  if  I  would 
please  take  a  chance  on  a  piano  for  one  dollar. 
I  answered  that  I  came  there  for  the  purpose 
of  assisting,  and  would  gladly  invest  what 
money  I  had  with  me.    My  cheerful  remarks 

301 


were  soon  noised  abroad,  and  by  the  time  I 
had  spent  $50  I  was  regarded  as  a  great  phil- 
anthropist. The  president  of  the  fair  was 
the  Honorable  Judge  Daly.  His  wife  invited 
me  to  her  table,  and  personally  thanked  me  for 
the  interest  I  had  displayed,  and  the  encourage- 
ment I  had  given  to  the  young  ladies.  She 
then  told  me,  as  did  also  the  president,  that 
they  would  be  obliged  to  give  up  the  fair,  as 
so  far,  they  had  made  but  very  little  above 
their  expenses,  which  amounted  to  $100  per 
day.  I  promised  them  I  would  spend  this 
amount  as  long  as  the  fair  remained  open, 
and  would  besides  try  to  induce  my  friends  to 
attend  it  also.  They  thanked  me  heartily,  and 
accepted  my  offer,  and,  for  the  ten  days  during 
which  the  fair  remained  open,  I  spent  the  $100 
daily  as  I  had  promised,  excepting  the  last  two 
nights  when  I  nearly  doubled  my  outlays.  The 
Judge  thanked  me  publicly  through  the  press. 
A  copy  of  his  encomium  will  be  found  reserved 
for  you,  to  decide  whether  all  he  ascribed  to 
me  therein  is  merited  or  not.  On  my  way  to 
the  fair,  in  the  car  I  was  pointed  out  as  the  man 
who  had  made  it  a  success.  I  asked  my  busi- 
ness friends  to  contribute,  and  I  invariably  put 
the  name  of  the  donor  in  the  books.  My  many 
chances  won  but  two  articles.    My  daughter 

302 


Rosa,  while  at  the  fair  with  me  met  her  teacher, 
a  Miss  Jackson,  to  whom  she  introduced  me. 
She  was  soliciting  chances  on  a  gold  watch  to 
be  raffled  off.  I  put  her  name  down  for  all 
the  blank  numbers  but  one,  which  number  was 
omitted  accidentally.  This  last  number  Rosa 
told  me  Miss  Jackson  refused  to  allow  me  to 
take  for  her,  saying  that  I  had  already  done 
too  much.  One  of  my  friends,  a  Mr.  Cohen, 
was  with  me  and  I  easily  persuaded  him  to 
take  this  odd  chance  and  he  won  the  watch. 
This  fair,  I  understand,  realized  about  $5,000. 

Years  after  the  fairs  to  which  I  have  al- 
luded were  held,  a  lady  with  whom  I  was 
friendly,  became  deeply  interested  in  a  French 
fair.  I  took  her  book  of  chances  and  nearly 
filled  it,  and,  in  order  to  show  my  appreciation 
and  return  the  compliment  she  had  so  gener- 
ously paid  me,  when  she  and  others  spent  dou- 
ble the  amount  they  had  intended,  at  the  Mount 
Sinai  fair,  I,  with  my  family,  went  one  after- 
noon to  this  French  fair,  and  spent  every  dol- 
lar I  had  taken  with  me.  As  I  was  about 
leaving,  I  met  at  the  entrance  Mr.  Hoguet, 
the  president  of  the  Irish  Emigration  Bank; 
accompanied  by  his  family.  He  wanted  me  to 
return.  I  pleaded  poverty,  but  he  handed  me 
one  hundred   dollars.    I   had  just  enough 

303 


change  remaining  after  I  left  the  fair  to  pay 
my  car  fare  home.  Mr.  Hoguet  was  always  a 
very  good  friend  of  the  writer,  and  a  very 
liberal,  charitable  man. 


304 


FOR  a  long  time  we  had  looked  forward 
with  the  happiest  anticipation  to  the  cele- 
bration of  our  silver  wedding  anniversary  with 
our  dear  children,  the  members  of  our  family, 
and  our  numerous  good  friends.  On  that  oc- 
casion, every  one  present  laid  aside  all  care 
and  pre-occupation,  for  that  day  at  least,  and 
joined  us  in  our  festivity,  participating  joy- 
fully in  our  happiness.  Absurd  flattery,  com- 
pliments and  adulation  were  bestowed  with 
marvelous  liberality  upon  the  bridal  couple. 
Wine  flowed  without  stint,  although  it  was 
lacking  25  years  previous  on  our  wedding  day. 
After  many  speeches,  brother  Henry  claimed 
the  right  of  entertaining  the  guests  with  an 
account  of  my  little  eccentricities  which  did  not 
tend  to  portray  me  in  my  character  of  "The 
Infallible  Louis,"  an  appellation  which  my 
children  frequently  adopted  when  speaking  of 
me,  and  to  me.  This  jubilee  will  ever  be  a 
delightful  remembrance  to  all  my  dear  family, 
who  enjoyed  the  festive  day  beyond  all  expres- 
sion. It  was,  in  fact,  a  perfect  reunion,  full 
of  good  cheer  and  kindly  feeling.    My  friends, 

30S 


Henry  Rice,  J.  S.  Menken  and  George  Einstein, 
were  fairly  bubbling  over  with  witty  speeches 
and  humorous  remarks.  Nothing  was  omit- 
ted; the  celebration  was  a  complete  ovation. 
Success  and  harmony  reigned  supreme,  and 
crowned  the  occasion  with  unrivaled  felicity. 
Rice,  Stix  &  Co.,  J.  S.  Menken,  and  many  of  my 
kind  friends  no  doubt  wished  to  put  me  under 
obligations  by  their  gifts,  but  they  really  only 
have  compelled  the  writer,  by  their  extravagant 
and  profuse  recognition,  to  shoulder  ever 
since  the  burden  of  a  heavy  expense  for  rent 
to  the  safe  deposit  company,  to  guard  such 
precious  treasures  as  were  then  bestowed  in 
the  shape  of  a  magnificent  silver  service  and 
the  like. 

The  caterer,  who  had  taken  advantage  of  us 
by  unscrupulous  overcharges,  quite  received 
his  deserts,  for  which  he  had  not  bargained, 
and  which  considerably  diminished,  no  doubt, 
his  pecuniary  profits,  when  the  rope  of  the 
dumb-waiter,  which  was  overloaded,  broke, 
playing  sad  havoc  with  all  the  contents  of  the 
dumb-waiter.  It  is  an  old  established  practice 
among  the  orthodox  Jews  to  break  a  vessel  on 
the  day  of  an  engagement,  which  we  did  not 
follow  then;  but  the  breaking  of  so  many 
dishes  on  this  anniversary  was  only  carrying 

306 


out  the  ancient  custom,  which  we  had  previ- 
ously omitted,  with  compound  interest  added 
thereto. 

After  dinner  the  children  had  a  stage  pre- 
pared in  our  "extension,"  as  our  parlor  was 
sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  and  seat  the 
one  hundred  and  ten  guests  assembled.  The 
performance  was  quite  a  success.  It  was 
called,  "Mayer  here  and  Mayer  there."  Our 
friends  who  witnessed  it  were  so  pleased  that 
those  who  heard  of  it  were  anxious  to  have  it 
repeated,  and  many  begged  me  to  let  my  chil- 
dren play  it  at  the  Harmonie  Club,  which  of 
course  I  did  not  favor,  and  I  would  have  felt 
unwilling  to  consent,  even  had  the  Board  ex- 
tended to  them  the  privilege. 


In  the  summer  of  1876,  while  going  about 
buying  goods  with  Mr.  Carl  Iglauer,  who  also 
came  East  to  assist  in  purchasing  merchandise, 
he  surprised  me,  while  in  the  rear  of  Falkner, 
Page  &  Co.'s  store,  by  asking  for  the  hand  of 
my  daughter  Rosa  in  marriage,  as  he  had  al- 
ready obtained  her  consent,  conditioned  on  her 
parents'  approval.  My  first  answer  was  a  de- 
cided "No,"  and  my  remark  too  well  known 

307 


for  me  to  repeat  it.  I  and  my  wife  were  much 
astonished.  We  had  no  inkling  of  his  inten- 
tions, and  I  considered  Mr.  Iglauer  entirely- 
unable  to  support  Rosa.  My  refusal  was  cer- 
tainly a  great  disappointment.  In  the  evening, 
when  I  informed  my  wife,  in  the  presence  of 
Mrs.  Nathan  Stix,  his  sister,  she  made  the 
remark  which  was  undoubtedly  true :  "I  sus- 
pected his  attentions  were  too  marked  for  those 
of  a  second  cousin. "  My  wife  thought  well 
of  the  young  man,  and  said,  "There  is  one  thing 
in  his  favor,  he  comes  of  a  good  family,"  which 
was,  in  fact,  her  own.  Mr.  Iglauer  did  not 
appear  at  supper  that  evening,  but  he  and  my 
boys  spent  the  time  together,  and  they  made 
him  come  to  the  house  to  sleep. 

In  the  morning,  after  consideration,  I  arose 
to  let  him  know  that  I  would  cheerfully  give 
my  consent  to  his  request.  He  had  left  his 
bed  long  before  I  awoke,  with  the  understand- 
ing, that  whatever  my  decision  might  be,  the 
boys  knew  where  to  find  him.  It  had  been  a 
hard  night  for  him,  as  he  had  promised  Rosa 
to  let  her  know  his  success  by  telegraph,  and 
had  waited,  hoping  for  some  more  favorable 
message  to  send  her  than  that  which  he  had 
at  first  received  from  me.  It  was  in  the  year 
1876,  as  stated  above,  that  Rosa  became  en- 

308 


gaged  to  Carl.  Rosa  became  the  favorite  of 
all  the  dear  ones  at  Cincinnati,  and  she  deserved 
all  the  credit  she  received  for  her  determina- 
tion to  live  according  to  her  slender  means. 
We  have  since  enjoyed  many  pleasant  days 
under  her  roof,  with  her  lovely  children 
in  her  beautiful  cozy  home.  Mr.  Iglauer  be- 
came the  leader  of  the  business.  Although  his 
tendencies  made  him  conservative,  still  he  was 
undoubtedly  on  the  right  side.  My  interest  in 
the  business  is  but  small  to-day,  while  his  share 
is  the  largest  and  most  merited.  I  am  past 
75  years  of  age  and  feel  the  need  of  rest. 

After  this  experience  I  went  with  my  wife 
to  the  Ocean  Hotel  at  Long  Branch.  There 
Frankie,  Carrie  and  Sylvan  were  the  favorites. 
Frankie  and  Sylvan  were  the  attraction  in 
the  ball-room — when  they  danced,  every  one 
came  running  in  to  see  them.  Brother  Henry, 
who  accompanied  me  from  New  York  to  the 
Branch,  walked  with  me  from  the  depot  to  the 
hotel.  A  former  Cincinnatian,  whom  my 
brother  Henry  knew,  was  driving  past  us  with 
his  own  team,  footman  and  driver,  while  I 
walked  with  my  brother  and  carried  my  own 
satchel.  Brother  Henry  made  the  remark  that 
while  I  carried  my  own  bag  and  walked,  the 
gentleman  driving  had  brought  less  means  to 

309 


New  York  than  the  writer.  I  answered  that 
while  I  wished  him  all  the  good  luck  possible, 
nevertheless,  I  feared  that  the  time  would  come 
when  my  fellow  townsman  would  learn  the 
worth  of  money  and  be  compelled  to  work.  I 
afterwards  met  my  townsman's  father-in-law 
at  the  Phoenix  Club,  where  he  was  introduced 
to  me  by  an  old  friend  of  mine,  Mr.  Ascher, 
though  his  son-in-law  refused  to  recognize  me. 
He  has  since  forfeited  all  right  to  live  in  his 
own  country,  and  has  been  exiled  from  all  his 
family.  My  prediction  has  been  more  than 
realized. 

In  1877  we  spent  the  summer  in  Weston, 
Connecticut.  In  1878  we  were  at  the  Orange 
Mountain  House  in  company  with  many 
friends.  Rosa  with  her  babe  Zillah,  our  only 
grandchild,  made  our  stay  most  pleasant. 


While  we  were  living  on  14th  street  most 
of  my  children  had  accounts  with  the  Savings 
Bank  on  the  corner  of  8th  Avenue,  nearly  op- 
posite our  house.  On  one  occasion  an  im- 
mense crowd  was  standing  near  the  entrance, 
waiting  for  the  bank  to  open  in  order  to  with- 
draw their  deposits.    The  crowd  constantly 

310 


increased  and  became  more  violent  and  boister- 
ous, although  the  bank  officers  assured  them 
there  was  enough  to  pay  all  and  still  have  a 
nice  surplus  left.  The  officers  could  not  calm 
the  anxious  depositors,  while  nothing  that  I 
or  a  dozen  others  said  was  able  to  change  their 
determination  to  have  their  money.  I  gave 
all  my  children  who  had  accounts  there  an 
additional  sum  to  put  in,  and  this  had  a  good 
effect.  The  president  and  board  of  directors 
appreciated  it,  and  remarked,  "If  others  who 
were  perfectly  convinced  of  the  solvency  of  the 
bank  would  do  the  same  thing,  the  people  would 
weaken  and  this  anxiety  come  to  an  end"  .  .  . 
the  distrust  having  been  brought  about  by  the 
failure  of  some  other  savings  bank,  thus  caus- 
ing a  general  alarm.  The  bank  was  perfectly 
good  then  and  is  now;  some  of  my  children 
still  have  their  deposits  there. 


3ii 


IN  1879  I  was  about  to  take  out  further  life 
insurance.  I  hardly  expecteti  any  exam- 
ination, as  on  a  previous  occasion  for  the  same 
purpose  the  doctor  did  not  keep  me  five  minutes 
and  remarked  to  one  of  the  officers,  he  had 
never  taken  a  better  risk.  But  at  this  trial  the 
physician  seemed  to  require  a  much  longer  time 
to  decide  whether  I  was  eligible.  He  put  his 
ear  against  my  heart  and  commenced  drum- 
ming and  beating  me,  and  then  asked  me  if  I 
was  as  well  as  usual.  I  told  him  that  as  far  as 
I  knew,  I  was,  and  that  I  had  not  been  sick  for 
a  quarter  of  a  century.  He  then  said  that  he 
could  not  take  any  risk  that  day,  but  to  return 
after  I  had  seen  my  own  doctor,  or  he  would 
call  at  my  office,  if  I  preferred.  From  that 
moment  I  felt  a  terrible  pain  around  my  heart 
and  was  convinced  that  I  was  not  a  well  man. 
When  I  returned  home  that  evening  my  wife 
noticed  that  I  was  depressed  and  despondent 
and  scarcely  ate  anything.  I  kept  the  cause 
of  my  anxiety  to  myself.  In  the  morning  I 
went  to  consult  my  physician,  Dr.  Livingston, 
who,  after  a  careful  and  thorough  examination, 

312 


could  not  find  any  trouble.  He  asked  me  to 
call  the  next  day,  when  he  and  his  associate 
repeated  the  examination.  They  then  retired 
to  their  private  offices  and  remained,  as  I 
thought,  for  hours.  When  they  returned,  they 
pronounced  me  perfectly  well.  I  asked  them 
what  was  the  need  or  occasion  for  them  to  con- 
sult so  long  and  earnestly  about  me.  There- 
upon they  acknowledged  that  they  found  some 
local  disturbance  about  my  heart,  caused  by  an 
accumulation  of  fat  around  the  vital  organ.  I 
was  advised  to  go  to  Saratoga  and  remain 
there  for  three  weeks  and  to  eat  nothing  during 
my  stay  but  roast  beef.  By  subjecting  myself 
to  this  diet,  it  was  hoped  that  I  would  lose 
weight.  After  remaining  away  according  to 
instructions  for  the  necessary  time,  I  returned 
and  joined  my  family  at  Xyack,  where  they 
were  spending  the  summer,  minus  just  twenty- 
one  pounds.  The  company  by  which  I  was  sur- 
rounded there  was  very  congenial,  and  I  passed 
many  delightful  hours,  enjoying  myself  as 
much  as  I  ever  did,  notwithstanding  my  ail- 
ment. During  this  season  Toe  Cullman  vis- 
ited Zillah,  and  they  became  engaged  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

After  some  intervening  years,  I  was  again 
troubled  by  intense  pains  right  above  the  heart, 

313 


which  brought  back  the  old  anxiety.  Exam- 
ination this  time  disclosed  the  presence  of  an 
abscess.  Dr.  Livingston  assured  me  there 
was  no  danger,  but  said  it  would  be  slow  and 
tedious  work  before  the  sore  could  be  healed. 
I  then  changed  my  physician,  placing  myself 
under  Dr.  Jacobi's  care.  Although  he  oper- 
ated upon  me  successfully  twice,  because  of 
this  abscess,  the  pains  were  not  in  the  least 
diminished — they  were,  if  anything,  more  ex- 
cruciating. Dr.  Jacobi  then  proposed  my  con- 
sulting some  distinguished  surgeon  and 
recommended  Dr.  Gerster.  My  Cincinnati 
friends  wanted  me  to  have  Hamilton  or  Sands. 
I  then  asked  the  doctor  to  secure  the  services 
of  Professor  Sands  and  to  take  Dr.  Gerster 
with  him.  I  would  do  a  great  injustice  to 
Professor  Sands  if  I  did  not  speak  in  the  high- 
est terms  of  him.  He  was  indeed  worthy  of 
the  illustrious  reputation  he  had  won.  I  learned 
to  love  and  respect  him  for  his  noble  character 
which  was  as  admirable  as  his  great  skill.  Dr. 
Gerster  treated  me  for  three  years  under  the 
supervision  of  Professor  Sands  who  regarded 
him  in  every  way  worthy  of  his  trust.  He 
performed  numerous  operations,  and  by  his 
incessant  dare-devil  determination,  and  the 
bravery  and  pluck  of  the  writer,  united  with 

314 


the  encouragement  of  my  dear  family,  I  have 
at  last  overcome  all  difficulties,  and  am  ex- 
tremely thankful  for  the  many  years  I  have 
since  enjoyed.  Dr.  Jacobi's  untiring  perse- 
verance and  medical  skill  have  restored  me  to 
as  good  health  as  any  man  between  the  age  of 
seventy  and  eighty  can  expect  to  possess.  I 
take  great  comfort*  and  pleasure  in  my  large 
family,  consisting  of  ten  children,  three  daugh- 
ters-in-law, three  sons-in-law,  and  fifteen  lovely 
grandchildren.  We  have  indeed  just  cause  to 
be  proud  of  all,  and  sincerely  hope  that  peace, 
love  and  harmony  will  ever  be  their  lot,  de- 
scending in  turn  from  our  dear  children  to 
their  offspring,  toward  which  most  delightful 
result  I  ask  the  hearty  co-operation  of  both  my 
children  and  my  grandchildren. 

After  Dr.  Jacobi  performed  the  second  oper- 
ation, we  believed  that  in  a  short  time  I  would 
be  well  again,  and  I  had  promised  dear  Carrie 
that  she  might  go  with  her  brother  Charles  to 
Europe  to  join  her  uncle  William's  family. 
Before  they  left  home,  however,  I  was  making 
arrangements  for  the  critical  operation  by 
Professor  Sands.  Not  desiring  to  disappoint 
Carrie,  nor  thwart  her  great  pleasure,  I  care- 
fully avoided  letting  her  know  my  condition 
and  the  danger  in  store  for  me,  while  I  did  all 

315 


I  could  to  make  her  trip  as  pleasant  a  one  as 
she  had  pictured  it.  I  also  managed  to  write 
enough  so  that  no  suspicion  was  excited  that 
I  was  dangerously  ill.  It  was  the  year  after 
dear  Zillah  was  married  to  Joe  Cullman,  a 
young  man  in  every  way  worthy  of  any  man's 
daughter,  and  one  who  has  proven  himself  a 
good  son  and  a  good  father.  I  have  always 
enjoyed  his  company.  After  my  principal 
operation,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Rice  invited  us 
to  spend  the  summer  with  them  in  their  lovely 
home  and  make  it  ours.  I  accepted  with  great 
satisfaction,  as  Long  Branch  had  been  recom- 
mended for  me  by  my  doctors.  Our  stay  at 
their  house  was  an  ovation  and  added  much  to 
my  recovery.  There  was  not  a  single  thing 
omitted  that  Mrs.  Rice  and  Mr.  Rice  could 
think  of  or  do,  to  make  us  feel  welcome  and  con- 
tented. Such  extreme  kindness  often  brought 
embarrassment,  for  it  was  far  more  than  we 
could  ask,  or  had  any  right  to  expect,  and  every 
attention  was  rendered  in  such  a  lovely  and 
beautiful  way  that  we  will  feel  ourselves  deeply 
indebted  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rice  to  the  end  of  our 
days.  Frankie  spent  her  summer  with  her  sis- 
ter Rosa  in  Cincinnati,  and  enjoyed  her  visit 
there  immensely.  In  the  winter  I  also  went 
West,  feeling  that  I  could  do  so  comfortably,  as 

316 


my  wound  was  now  healed.  Still  the  pains  did 
not  cease  altogether,  but  they  were  not  as 
severe,  and  I  had  every  reason  to  hope  that  they 
would  ultimately  cease.  I  was  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment, however,  at  that  time,  for  while  I 
was  still  in  Cincinnati,  the  wound  re-opened, 
and  I  suffered  more  agony  than  during  any 
of  my  previous  experiences.  I  sent  for  Dr. 
Ransehof,  feeling  really  alarmed  at  my  condi- 
tion; for  wherever  the  matter  exuded  and 
touched  sound  flesh,  it  poisoned  it  and  made  a 
sore.  The  doctor  assured  me  that  this  was  of 
no  grave  importance.  He  advised  me  to  re- 
turn to  New  York,  so  that  I  might  again  be 
under,  and  consult  Professor  Sands  in  relation 
to  this  development.  From  all  of  these  difficul- 
ties, after  many  operations  and  much  endur- 
ance, I  was  finally  cured. 


317 


THE  summer  of  1884  abides  as  a  pleasant 
recollection.  For  some  years  Sylvan  had 
spent  his  summer  vacations  with  his  French 
teacher  at  the  Catskill  Mountains,  with  a  lot  of 
other  boys.  In  the  year  1884,  Frankie,  who 
had  been  staying  with  Henry  Rice  and  family 
at  the  Old  Mountain  House,  and  I,  went  to 
see  Sylvan.  We  were  delighted  with  the 
surroundings.  The  country  was  beautiful  and 
picturesque.  W e  stayed  over  night,  and  found 
the  house  kept  in  excellent  style.  There  was 
a  very  good  substantial  table.  The  milk,  eggs, 
butter  and  vegetables  were  supplied  from  the 
farm  on  the  place.  The  farmer  and  his  fam- 
ily were  extremely  congenial  with  the  teacher 
and  his  wife.  Mr.  Porret,  the  teacher,  pos- 
sessed the  happy  faculty  of  making  himself 
one  of  the  boys  while  at  play,  but  he  was  also 
a  good  disciplinarian.  Frances  and  I  then 
went  to  Albany  arriving  there  Friday,  and 
spent  the  evening  at  the  home  of  my  old  friend, 
Aaron  Mann,  where  we  met  all  the  members 
of  his  family.  Next  morning  my  wife  and 
Carrie,  who  came  up  on  the  night  boat,  joined 

318 


us  in  Albany,  en  route  to  Saratoga.  Mr. 
Weiss  found  it  convenient  to  have  some  bus- 
iness at  Albany,  fearing  Carrie  might  feel 
lonesome.  Frankie  and  I,  together  with 
mamma  and  Carrie,  again  called  at  the  Mann 
home.  Carrie  and  Frankie  then  went  out 
sight-seeing  with  Mr.  Mann's  youngest  son, 
then  a  freshman  at  Hamilton  College,  now  the 
husband  of  Frances;  but  Carrie,  failing  to  find 
anything  interesting  in  that,  returned  to  the 
hotel  very  shortly,  where  Mr.  Weiss  was  stay- 
ing. 

Frankie,  however,  enjoyed  herself  so  thor- 
oughly, that  she  only  returned  a  few  minutes 
before  train  time,  mother  and  I  being  on  the 
watch  and  very  excited,  fearing  we  were  about 
to  miss  the  train.  S.  W.  Weiss  accompanied 
our  party  to  attend  to  some  lav  business  which 
I  hope  may  be  as  lasting  as  it  was  successful, 
for  he  gained  his  case.  Frankie  and  Mr. 
Mann  have  ever  thought  Albany  a  pleasant 
place.  Later  when  Mr.  Mann  attended  Colum- 
bia Law  School,  he  called  on  Frances,  who  was 
then  in  Europe.  Upon  her  return,  Mr.  Mann 
became  a  frequent  caller  at  our  house,  and 
there  he  again  met  Carrie,  then  Mrs.  Weiss, 
who  invited  him  to  dine  at  her  home  in  Fort 
Washington,  to  meet  her  husband  and  baby 

319 


boy,  William.  Mr.  Mann  accepted  the  invi- 
tation, provided  Frances  would  consent  to  be 
his  guide,  which  she  has  ever  since  been.  This 
Fort  Washington  visit,  the  forerunner  of  many, 
was  made  just  as  Mr.  Mann  was  admitted  to 
the  bar,  and  at  Mr.  Weiss'  invitation,  he  en- 
tered his  office.  After  years  of  close  compan- 
ionship, Frances  and  Mr.  Mann  became  man 
and  wife,  and  I  am  incapable  of  judging  which 
of  the  two  is  the  bigger  crank.  It  would  in- 
deed be  a  pity  if  they  had  not  been  united. 
They  were  married  on  November  28th,  1893. 
Their  union  has  cemented  the  friendship  ex- 
isting for  two-score  years  between  Aaron 
Mann  and  myself,  and  our  families  frequently 
met  when  we  were  enjoying  our  summer  va- 
cations. Strange  as  it  may  seem,  Aaron  Mann 
and  I  became  friends  from  the  very  first  time 
we  met  as  very  young  men  during  our  early 
struggles.  Dorothy  Gudrune  Stix  Mann  was 
born  on  the  25th  of  September,  1894,  and  both 
families  will  fe'el  equal  pride  in  being  addressed 
by  her  as  grandparents.  The  name  Dorothy 
was  that  of  my  noble  and  dearly  beloved 
mother,  who  was  her  maternal  great  grand- 
mother. May  she  ever  be  most  worthy  of  the 
honored  name  she  bears,  and  may  the  lovely 
unspotted  character  which  belonged  to  the  dear 

320 


one  now  consigned  to  mother  earth,  reappear 
in  this  little  one  called  after  her.  There  is  no 
greater  blessing  with  which  she  could  possibly 
be  endowed  than  that  she  should  command  the 
love,  honor  and  worship  which  we  children  ever 
bestowed  upon  our  exemplary  mother.  May 
this  union  of  which  she  is  the  offspring  ever 
remain  sacred  in  peace  and  harmony,  and  may 
her  parents  be  spared  from  all  ill  and  sickness 
until  the  close  of  a  long  and  happy  life. 


Referring  again  to  the  period  of  my  serious 
illness,  I  returned  early  in  the  second  summer 
after  a  most  serious  operation  to  Saratoga,  and 
stopped  again  at  Congress  Hall,  with  which  I 
found  no  fault  except  that  my  daughters  dis- 
covered more  congenial  company  at  the  United 
States  Hotel.  Mr.  Weiss,  now  Carrie's  hus- 
band, also  evidently  enjoyed  Saratoga.  I  had 
as  much  gratification  as  a  man  in  constant  pain 
could  expect.  We  were  sorry  to  leave  for  the 
White  Mountains,  putting  up  at  the  Fabyan 
House.  Zillah  came  up  to  stay  with  us,  and 
I  shall  never  forget  Joe  Jr.,  who  was  at  the 
depot,  calling  out  as  plainly  as  he  can  to-day, 

321 


"All  aboard  for  the  Fabyan  House/'  Many 
worried  and  sleepless  nights  I  had  to  pass 
through,  but  the  worst  was  still  to  come,  being 
only  postponed  for  a  season.  I  found  that  I 
did  not  recuperate  as  I  had  hoped  to  in  the 
White  Mountains,  and  was  advised  by  the  doc- 
tor to  go  South  for  the  winter,  or  in  the  early 
spring. 

In  the  mountains  I  met  a  Mr.  Adler  who 
begged  me  to  stop  over  night  at  New  Haven 
with  him,  as  his  mother  was  very  anxious  to 
see  me,  and  renew  her  acquaintance  with  me, 
as  we  had  crossed  the  ocean  together  in  the 
same  ship.  I  wrote  her  to  meet  us  at  the  depot 
upon  a  certain  day,  mentioning  the  time  that 
we  expected  to  pass  through  New  Haven.  As 
the  train  stopped  I  stepped  off  upon  the  plat- 
form, and  saw  quite  a  middle-aged  lady  ap- 
proaching who  said,  "Is  this  Mr.  Louis  Stix?" 
Upon  my  answering  in  the  affirmative,  she  con- 
tinued, "Will  you  please  step  back?"  and  intro- 
duced me  to  her  mother.  My  wife  was  pre- 
sented also.  My  old  friend  then  told  me  that 
she  believed  I  had  grown  older  since  she  last 
saw  me  painting  and  calking  the  ship.  We 
had  not  met  for  forty-two  years,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  I  had  greatly  changed  during  this  inter- 
val, and  particularly  so  since  my  illness.    I  had 

322 


been  troubled  with  a  cough,  and  had  every  rea- 
son to  fear  that  I  had  consumption.  One  of 
our  leading  physicians  met  me  in  the  cars  at 
this  time,  and  found  me  looking  well,  and  he  re- 
marked that  he  was  astonished  to  see  me  in 
such  excellent  physical  condition,  as  people 
who  had  been  affected  with  my  disease  usually 
died  within  a  year  of  lung  trouble.  My  cough, 
however,  did  not  yield  to  any  remedies,  so  my 
doctor  ordered  me  to  Aiken,  where  nearly  all 
the  patients  were  consumptives.  I  was  con- 
vinced that  I  too  had  the  disease,  for  I  could 
hardly  eat  anything  without  taking  a  douche 
through  my  nose  and  mouth  before  my  meals. 
I  felt  weak  and  chilly  and  my  appetite  had  for- 
saken me.  The  news  I  received  from  S'tix 
Bros.,  Herman  &  Co.,  was  not  very  helpful  to 
a  sick  man. 

On  arriving  at  our  destination,  we  could  not 
procure  rooms  in  the  main  part  of  the  hotel, 
but  we  succeeded  in  getting  good  accommoda- 
tions at  the  annex.  The  weather  was  quite  un- 
propitious,  and  so  chilly  that  I  was  often 
obliged  to  keep  on  part  of  my  clothing,  even  in 
bed,  to  get  warm.  We  had  to  have  a  fire  in 
our  bedroom  and  sitting-room.  The  table 
was  very  poor,  and  I  was  a  sicker  man  the  day 
I  left  the  place  than  when  I  arrived.    I  re- 

323 


member  on  reaching  Atlanta,  I  went  to  bed 
simply  to  be  more  comfortable,  and  we  enjoyed 
a  good  plate  of  soup,  which  we  had  not  had  at 
Aiken.  A  New  York  brewer,  sojourning  at 
Aiken,  offered  to  bet  that  100  quarts  of  the 
milk  which  we  had  had,  would  not  make  one 
pound  of  butter,  and  remarked,  "I  will  return 
to  New  York,  for  I  would  prefer  to  live  one 
year  there,  than  twenty-five  at  Aiken."  On 
our  way  back  I  went  to  see  Dr.  Gerster,  who 
assured  me  that  I  had  no  lung  trouble,  but  was 
suffering  from  bronchitis,  which  might  never 
leave  me;  but  that  despite  this,  I  might  live  to 
be  one  hundred  years  of  age.  My  cough  is  far 
less  troublesome  to-day. 


The  sudden  and  inexplicable  catastrophe, 
the  failure  of  the  firm  of  Stix  Bros.,  Herman  & 
Co.  served  to  develop  the  true  character  of  A. 
Backer,  who,  finding  that  no  hypocritical  false 
pretense  would  any  longer  result  in  his  per- 
sonal advantage,  threw  off  his  disguise  and 
appeared  in  his  natural  colors.  He  proved 
himself  a  veritable  Shylock.  When  asked  by 
my  attorney  whether  I  wished  to  do  anything 
in  the  way  of  arranging  matters,  I  remarked 

324 


that  there  was  no  necessity,  as  I  had  the 
fullest  confidence  in  the  integrity  of  this  man, 
whom  I  had  known  for  so  many  years  and  al- 
though I  regarded  him  as  an  honest  babbler 
and  idle  talker,  I  knew  nothing  further  which 
was  seriously  detrimental  or  derogatory  to  his 
character.  Although  warned,  I  heeded  not  the 
counsel  received,  to  my  sorrow,  for  I  soon  was 
compelled  to  realize  that  he  respected  neither 
friend  nor  foe  when  the  almighty  dollar  was  at 
stake.  Mr.  Backer  left  me  no  option  but  to 
submit  to  the  best  settlement  I  could  make  to 
cover  my  losses.  I  felt  thankful  afterward  that 
things  turned  out  then  as  they  did,  and  that  I 
discovered  the  duplicity  and  dishonesty  of  Mr. 
Backer  and  Sol  Herman.  This  exposure  and 
dearly  purchased  experience  saved  me  eventu- 
ally from  far  greater  loss  which  I  might  have 
suffered  in  the  future,  in  common  with  many  of 
Backer's  friends  and  customers  who  were  un- 
fortunate enough  to  become  better  acquainted 
with  the  old  miscreant  when  he  managed  to  in- 
veigle them  into  certain  unsuccessful  enter- 
prises. After  this  consummate  rascal  had 
forced  the  last  cent  from  me  which  it  was  in  his 
power  to  abstract,  I  then  and  there  demanded  a 
receipt  from  him  in  full  from  the  beginning  of 
the  world  to  the  very  end  of  all  time,  and  hav- 

325 


ing  obtained  it,  I  forbade  him  ever  to  enter  my 
house,  and  promised  never  to  cross  his  thresh- 
old. As  to  the  indebtedness  to  me,  close  on 
to  $100,000,  I  was  willing  to  come  in  for  my 
share  with  the  other  creditors.  My  resolution 
then  determined  upon,  to  have  no  further  busi- 
ness dealings  with  these  people,  protected  me, 
as  before  stated,  from  joining  in  an  enterprise 
which  culminated  most  disastrously.  Backer 
enticed  many  who  had  not  yet  discovered  his 
true  standing,  to  join  in  a  speculation  where 
they  were  offered  immense  profits,  but  in  place 
of  selling  their  holdings,  they  were  persuaded 
to  reinvest  them  in  a  new  undertaking  and  lost 
their  all.  When  the  first  results  appeared  to 
turn  out  so  favorably,  and  the  second  enter- 
prise appeared  to  offer  even  greater  oppor- 
tunity of  pecuniary  advantage,  I  was  asked  by 
a  friend  if  I  wished  to  join.  He  stated  that  I 
might  do  so  without  having  my  name  appear. 
I  steadily  closed  my  eyes  to  the  seemingly  bril- 
liant prospects,  and  rightly  stood  by  my  prin- 
ciples. I  would  have  neither  direct  nor  indirect 
intercourse  with  the  man  who  had  before  be- 
trayed his  honor.  The  enterprise  was  an  abso- 
lute failure,  so  naturally  I  have  never  regretted 
my  decision.  After  Backer's  death  his  daugh- 
ter called  on  me  and  tried  to  prove  that  she  was 

326 


entitled  to  some  moneys  at  my  hands,  though 
nothing  could  be  found  in  his  books  to  estab- 
lish such  facts. 


The  Springer  experience,  too,  has  always 
held  its  place  in  my  memory.  At  my  sug- 
gestion, Sidney  Hackes  joined  his  brother- 
in-law,  Mr.  Springer,  as  a  partner  in  busi- 
ness. I  first  assisted  Sidney  with  about 
$5,000.  Then  I  loaned  the  firm  $5,000  more, 
and  endorsed  some  of  their  purchases.  My 
purpose  in  helping  them  was  so  that  they  could 
support  their  respective  families.  They  sent 
me  more  of  their  notes  to  endorse  at  the  very 
time  when  each  partner  was  bringing  charges 
against  the  other  for  spending  the  money  of 
the  firm  too  freely  for  private  use.  Springer 
came  East  to  raise  more  money,  but  I  refused 
to  go  any  deeper,  and  advised  them  to  quit 
business  and  wind  up  their  afYairs,  as  no 
partners  could  succeed  under  such  circum- 
stances. I  insisted  also  that  they  should  make 
an  assignment  for  the  benefit  of  creditors. 
They  so  mismanaged  that  few  received  their 
dues  in  full,  and  the  greater  number  whom 
they  owed,  including  myself,  lost  all  they  had 

327 


ventured.  I  wrote  a  letter  reproaching  them 
for  their  unwise  proceedings  and  criticising 
their  methods.  To  my  amazement  I  received 
a  vituperative  reply  from  Springer,  who  never 
deserved  any  man's  confidence,  containing 
among  other  things  the  assertion  that  it  was 
my  good  fortune,  and  not  my  good  sense,  that 
had  enabled  me  to  become  a  rich  man.  From 
that  time  on,  I  promised  myself  that  there 
should  be  an  end  of  our  relationship.  I  have 
always  believed,  and  still  have  reason  to  do  so, 
that  the  letter  to  which  I  have  alluded  was 
dictated  by  my  niece  Ida,  the  wife  of  the  un- 
principled Springer,  for  I  read  between  the 
lines  and  recognized  her  impertinence,  al- 
though his  signature  appeared  at  its  close,  and 
the  handwriting  was  unmistakably  Mr.  Spring- 
er's. Shortly  after  this  they  moved  to  New 
York,  and  this  very  Ida  required  hospital 
treatment.  There  was  no  trouble  in  securing 
her  admission,  but  she  also  called  upon  me  to 
get  her  a  private  room,  as  the  operation  she 
had  to  undergo  was  important  and  dangerous. 
At  the  time  there  was  but  one  vacant  room  to 
be  had,  costing  $40  a  week.  The  superintend- 
ent promised  me  the  first  $30  room  which  was 
vacant.  It  was  in  every  respect  as  good  as  the 
other,  only  it  was  in  the  rear  of  the  building, 

328 


while  the  other  was  at  the  front  of  the  house. 
She  refused  to  change,  was  exceedingly 
troublesome,  and  made  complaints  against 
nearly  every  one  with  whom  she  came  in  con- 
tact. At  last  the  whole  matter  came  before 
the  board,  and  I  stopped  it  at  once.  It  cost  me 
between  $700  and  $800,  and  to  this  day  she 
has  not  considered  it  worth  her  while  to  thank 
me.  Her  husband  called  to  see  me  while  his 
wife  was  an  inmate  of  the  hospital.  He  rang 
the  bell  and  came  into  the  hall,  but  I  refused  to 
allow  him  in  my  presence,  sending  word  by  my 
children  to  this  effect.  I  have  since  completely 
ignored  him. 


From  the  time  we  moved  to  New  York,  the 
checks  for  housekeeping  I  gave  my  wife  were 
always  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars. 
Sometimes  her  management  was  not  so  frugal, 
and  she  got  into  the  habit  of  asking  for  the 
allowance  ahead  of  the  usual  time.  I  neglected 
the  request  once  or  twice,  and  she  began  to 
give  me  a  scolding.  Once  when  this  happened 
the  thought  struck  me  that  I  had  received  a 
check  drawn  to  my  order  for  twenty-five  dol- 
lars which  was  in  my  pocket.    I  endorsed  it 

329 


over  to  her;  she  passed  it  on  to  her  butcher. 
Although  this  check  was  different  in  color  from 
mine  and  was  not  drawn  upon  my  bank,  re- 
gardless of  that,  and  because  my  checks  were 
always  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  he 
gave  her  the  change  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  on  this  check  and  deposited  it  in  his 
bank,  receiving  credit  for  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  thereon.  The  second  day  the  check  was 
forwarded  from  the  clearing  house  and  re- 
turned to  the  bank  and  in  turn  to  her  butcher, 
the  error  not  having  been  observed  until  it  had 
reached  the  clearing  house.  For  years  after 
my  wife  examined  her  checks,  and  for  the  past 
five  years  has  had  her  own  bank  account. 


330 


IN  the  year  1885  a  gentleman  called  at  my 
office  and  asked  to  see  Mr.  Stix.  I  immedi- 
ately informed  him  that  if  he  wanted  to  meet 
Mr.  Louis  Stix,  I  had  the  honor  to  be  called 
by  that  name,  whereupon  he  introduced  himself 
as  a  young-  man  who  had  clerked  for  me  in  my 
Urbana  store  in  1843.  He  expected  that  he 
would  be  received  with  open  arms  but  I  did  not 
recognize  him  at  first,  neither  did  I  remember 
any  one  of  his  name  who  had  ever  been  em- 
ployed by  me.  Although  I  never  doubted  his 
veracity,  yet  it  took  me  a  few  moments  to  turn 
my  mind  back  over  a  period  of  forty-three 
years,  so  he  did  not  receive  as  warm  a  welcome 
as  he  fancied  I  should  have  extended  him.  I 
then  recollected  that  this  must  be  the  young 
gentleman  who,  before  he  came  to  me,  had  been 
in  the  service  of  one  of  my  neighbors,  a  man  in 
every  way  undesirable,  who  never  neglected 
an  opportunity  to  take  advantage  of  others,  was 
untruthful  and  perfidious.  My  caller,  I  remem- 
bered, had  been  the  son  of  poor  parents,  and 
so  had  come  to  me  as  soon  as  a  chance  offered. 
He  had  fancied,  however,  that  all  merchants 
were  of  the  same  principles  as  the  one  with 

331 


whom  he  stayed  for  so  short  a  time.  I,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  naturally  honest.  Once  when 
I  had  been  attacked  through  the  press  as  a 
vagabond  and  a  wandering  Jew,  and,  having 
neither  the  skill  nor  means  to  exonerate  my- 
self, had  been  defended  by  the  noble  Dr.  Mus- 
grave,  I  had  promised  myself  to  be  up- 
right and  honorable  in  all  my  future  dealings, 
and  never  give  him  cause  to  regret  the  interest 
he  then  showed  on  my  behalf.  So  it  seems 
that,  imbued  by  these  high  principles,  I  lectured 
my  young  man,  and  instructed  him  to  be  ever 
honest,  truthful  and  obliging,  and  never  to  enter 
into  any  transaction  which  would  cause  him  to 
feel  any  sense  of  shame  or  mortification. 
While  he  had  accepted  the  place  with  me  re- 
luctantly, being  unwilling  to  work  for  a  Jew, 
he  soon  changed  his  opinion,  and  became  my 
ardent  admirer,  regarding  me  as  a  good  and 
model  man.  Shortly  after,  he  moved  to  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  where  he  met  many  of  my  inti- 
mate friends  and  acquaintances,  who  observed 
when  my  name  was  mentioned,  that  the  gentle- 
man took  great  interest,  and  showed  both  af- 
fection and  good  wishes  for  me.  One  man, 
who  saw  the  weak  side  of  my  Urbana  friend, 
took  pleasure  in  exaggerating  my  success,  and 
reported  me  a  very  rich  man ;  in  fact  a  million- 

332 


aire  holding  important  positions  in  benevo- 
lent institutions,  and  made  other  extravagant 
statements.  Hearing  these  wonderful  ac- 
counts of  my  prosperity  and  social  exaltation 
almost  daily,  and  feeling  both  grateful  and 
kindly  towards  me,  he  often  expressed  an  ear- 
nest desire  to  see  me  once  more.  About  1885, 
the  opportunity  presented  itself  to  come  to 
New  York  with  a  drove  of  cattle.  The  cool 
reception  and  want  on  my  part  of  prompt 
recognition,  had  chilled  his  ardor.  I  tried  to 
make  good  my  tardy  welcome  by  every  means 
in  my  power.  However,  he  would  neither  ac- 
company me  to  my  home,  to  which  I  invited 
him  cordially,  nor  even  lunch,  nor  take  a  drink 
with  me,  but  returned  west  the  same  day  he 
had  arrived,  a  disgusted  and  disappointed  man. 
I  assure  you  that  his  refusal  to  partake  of  my 
hospitality  hurt  me  for  years  after.  He  had 
idealized  me  and  credited  me  with  molding  his 
happy  and  contented  life.  I  can  readily  under- 
stand what  his  feelings  were  and  sympathize 
with  them. 


While  on  a  visit  to  Cincinnati,  I  met  a  man 
who  was  sneaking  around  my  brother  Nathan 

333 


and  finally  succeeded,  by  trick  and  imposition, 
in  selling  him  a  tract  of  land  for  which  we  had 
not  the  slightest  use,  near  Newton,  Hamilton 
County,  within  six  miles  of  the  city.  We  still 
own  the  property,  and  if  we  desired  to  sell  to- 
day, would  undoubtedly  lose  upon  it,  and  it 
has  never  paid  interest  on  the  investment  since 
its  purchase.  This  very  man,  McGill,  laid  a 
trap  for  a  gigantic  swindle.  He  always  tried 
to  avoid  me.  He  was  a  merchant  who  owed 
us  for  goods  and  had  mortgaged  some  secur- 
ities of  his  own  make  in  which  Louis  Stix  & 
Co.  had  advanced  money,  and  others  also,  if  I 
am  correctly  informed,  and  upon  which  brother 
Nathan  made  advances  personally.  Not  satis- 
fied with  having  gained  this  advantage,  he  pro- 
posed that  the  firm  should  become  partner  with 
him  in  the  railroad  of  which  he  was  president. 
He  pretended  great  friendship  and  seemed 
anxious  that  we  should  share  with  him  in  this 
well  paying  undertaking.  Brother  Nathan 
who  thought  well  of  the  speculation,  brought 
the  matter  before  me  and  I  answered  unhesi- 
tatingly, "Not  only  will  I  not  invest  in  McGill's 
swindling  scheme,  but  I  want  you  to  get  out  of 
any  transactions  which  we  have  with  him  to- 
day." My  excuse  for  this  uncompromising 
reply  was  the  effect  which  McGill's  roguish 

334 


and  dishonest  countenance  had  upon  me,  con- 
vincing me  more  plainly  than  words  of  his 
dishonesty,  and  enabling  me  to  form  a  just 
conception  of  his  character.  The  only  mistake 
that  I  made  was  that  I  did  not  see  to  it  that 
our  dues  were  paid  at  once,  for  it  was  not  long 
ere  my  opinion  was  confirmed,  and  Louis  Stix 
&  Co.  were  losers  in  a  considerable  amount. 
As  to  the  collaterals  we  held  as  securities,  they 
were  forgeries.  States  prison  or  self-destruc- 
tion were  McGill's  only  alternatives.  He 
meant  well  by  the  state,  however,  and  saved 
it  expense  by  taking  his  own  life.  If  it  had 
not  been  for  my  disapproval  and  the  chance 
which  called  me  to  Cincinnati,  he  would  have 
placed  many  of  his  forged  bonds. 


On  one  occasion  my  wife  was  visiting  our 
daughter  Carrie  at  her  home  at  Ft.  Washing- 
ton and  they  went  out  for  a  walk.  Carrie  had 
a  big  St.  Bernard  dog  that  always  showed  an 
intense  dislike  toward  any  poorly  clad  person. 
Such  a  man  passed  them,  and  the  dog  made 
desperate  efforts  to  jump  upon  him,  but  my 
wife  held  the  dog  firmly  to  prevent  any  such 
attack.    At  last  the  dog  threw  her  down,  and 

335 


in  the  fall,  she  broke  her  wrist.  The  doctor 
who  examined  it  there  could  not  tell  whether 
the  wrist  was  fractured  or  not.  She  pre- 
tended, however,  it  was  nothing  serious,  and 
at  once  returned  home.  Before  reaching  the 
house  she  stopped  to  consult  our  physician, 
who  found  that  her  wrist  was  broken.  She 
tried  to  make  us  believe  it  was  only  a  little 
bruise.  I,  however,  sent  for  Dr.  Gerster, 
whose  opinion  coincided  with  that  of  Dr.  Frau- 
enfeld.  It  took  a  long  time  before  she  was  able 
to  use  her  arm. 

On  another  occasion  she  was  out  driving 
with  dear  Carrie  and  William  in  a  cab.  They 
observed  that  the  horse  was  becoming  un- 
manageable. My  wife,  with  her  usual  pres- 
ence of  mind  and  self-forgetfulness,  told  dear 
Carrie  to  take  care  of  herself.  She  then  gath- 
ered the  rug  around  William,  protecting  him 
from  all  harm.  The  vehicle  upset  and  both 
Carrie  and  my  wife  acted  with  bravery,  despite 
the  shock  and  bruises.  In  the  early  hours  of 
the  following  morning  Nina  was  born,  and 
spared  to  us  by  the  remarkable  courage  and 
skill  of  my  wife,  who,  in  the  absence  of  any 
physician,  did  heroic  work.  I  recall  vividly 
too,  how  my  daughter,  Zillah,  who  lived  around 
the  corner,  a  short  distance  from  our  residence, 

336 


had  come  to  the  house  intending  to  remain  for 
supper,  but  abridged  her  stay  and  with  my  wife 
returned  home.  Shortly  after  their  departure, 
a  servant  came  running  back  for  me  requesting 
that  I  should  promptly  send  our  neighboring 
physician  whom  I  dispatched  at  once.  Before 
he  had  arrived,  a  second  messenger  appeared, 
almost  breathless,  to  impart  the  intelligence 
that  mother  and  boy  were  doing  well  and  to 
hurry  the  doctor's  tardy  footsteps.  Howard, 
one  of  the  loveliest  and  brightest  of  children, 
had  just  made  his  appearance.  He  will,  I  am 
sure,  one  day  make  his  mark  in  this  world  of 
commercial  strife,  where  he  and  his  brother  Joe 
may  prove  to  be  competitors.  It  is  not  only  in 
precocity  of  intellect  that  Howard  promises  to 
excel,  but  he  appears  to  be  equally  favored  in 
physical  development. 


On  the  6th  of  March,  1893,  while  my  wife 
was  out  marketing,  she  crossed  from  the  north- 
west corner  of  72nd  street,  to  the  northeast 
corner  on  Columbus  Avenue.  Just  as  she  was 
about  stepping  from  the  street  to  the  sidewalk 
she  slipped  and  fell  on  the  ice,  which  was  cov- 
ered by  a  fall  of  snow.    We  afterward  ascer- 

337 


tained  that  upon  that  very  spot,  which  was  one 
of  the  most  neglected  places  in  the  city,  many 
persons,  including  some  of  our  neighbors,  had 
also  fallen,  but  without  any  special  injury. 
She  was  picked  up,  utterly  incapable  of  stand- 
ing or  moving.  We  sent  for  a  doctor,  who 
pronounced  her  suffering  from  a  fracture  of 
the  hip-bone.  They  carried  her  to  the  first 
house  but  one  from  the  scene  of  the  accident, 
where  she  requested  she  be  taken.  This  was 
the  residence  of  our  daughter  Zillah.  Dr. 
Gerster,  my  friend,  who  was  summoned,  found 
the  case  a  very  serious  one.  He  at  once  did 
as  much  as  possible  for  her  relief,  but  under 
the  circumstances  this  was  not  much.  She 
could  not  be  moved  to  our  house  for  weeks,  and 
then  only  upon  a  stretcher.  Although  her  en- 
tire family  were  more  than  anxious  to  render 
her  every  attention  and  assistance,  yet  we 
found  it  of  great  importance  to  secure  the  skill- 
ful services  of  a  professional  nurse,  who  took 
admirable  care  of  dear  mother  for  one-fourth 
of  a  year.  The  nurse  was  a  graduate  of 
Mount  Sinai  Training  School  and  I  can  posi- 
tively affirm  that  she  was  worthy  of  the  very 
highest  recommendation.  After  months  of 
patient  suffering,  mother  commenced  to  walk 
with  two  crutches;  then  with  one  crutch  and 

338 


a  cane;  next  with  two  canes,  and  finally  with 
the  aid  of  but  one  cane.  She  is  able,  however, 
to  go  to  market  alone,  although  she  walks 
lame,  and  will  limp  as  long  as  she  lives.  Zillah 
and  her  husband  proved  themselves  throughout 
all  this  trying  time  well  wrorthy  of  the  good 
name  which  they  have  always  borne.  Nothing 
was  too  much  for  them  to  do.  Dear  Carrie 
came  daily,  and  sometimes  twice  during  the 
day,  although  often  not  allowed  to  see  her 
mother,  as  she  was  too  sympathetic  and  found 
it  very  difficult  to  control  her  feelings  in  the 
presence  of  her  beloved  invalid.  Frankie  is 
her  superior  in  the  sick  room  in  this  respect. 
When  the  warm  weather  set  in,  mamma  and  I, 
Frankie,  and  mamma's  maid  Alice,  who  acted 
beautifully  during  this  sickness,  had  a  lovely 
summer  at  Fort  W ashington,  and  really  did  not 
realize  fully  until  then  how  good  and  charm- 
ing our  dear  daughter  Carrie  could  be.  Sam, 
her  husband,  united  with  his  wife  in  making 
our  visit  most  delightful,  and  fully  approved  of 
all  the  plans  for  our  entertainment  and  pleas- 
ure. Their  lovely  children  too,  brought  sweet- 
ness into  our  lives,  like  balsam  to  a  wound. 
They  never  missed  a  day  that  they  did  not 
bring  flowers  to  their  grandma,  and  up  to  this 
day  they  insist  that  she  shall  sit  between  them 

339 


at  the  table,  an  honor  they  claim  as  their 
peculiar  and  special  privilege.  We  made  good 
use  of  the  livery  stable,  and  enjoyed  driving 
very  much.  Our  room  being  upon  the  ground 
floor,  we  had  no  stairs  to  climb  in  going  out 
and  in.  Altogether  we  thoroughly  appreci- 
ated our  comforts  and  pleasures  with  the  W eiss 
family.  I  must  say  that  all  and  every  one  of 
our  children  have  at  all  times  left  nothing  un- 
done that  would  please,  and  make  them  useful 
to  us. 


340 


IN  1 89 1,  we  celebrated  my  70th  birthday  and 
had  a  glorious  family  reunion.  All  of  our 
dear  children  were  present,  excepting  one,  who, 
on  account  of  business,  was  unable  to  join  us. 
It  was  a  charming  family  gathering.  When 
dear  Belle,  Ro  and  Florence  entered  our  new 
home,  I  noticed  that  their  countenances  ex- 
pressed astonishment  mingled  with  joy,  and 
their  pleasure  was  so  genuine  and  apparent, 
that  it  diffused  itself  throughout  all  the  guests 
assembled  to  do  us  honor.  Their  faces  fairly 
glowed  with  animation  and  beamed  with  hap- 
piness. Dear  Florence  enchanted  us  all  at  the 
table  by  her  speech,  charming  all  with  whom 
she  came  in  contact;  as  much  at  home  as 
her  dear  mother,  whose  heart  is  as  big  as 
her  person  is  little.  Belle  was  like  sunshine 
to  everybody.  Our  other  daughters  Zillah, 
Carrie,  Frances,  Freddie  and  Lena,  together 
with  our  eight  sons,  all  contributed  their  share 
to  the  perfect  enjoyment  of  this  festive  occa- 
sion. Mr.  Iglauer  alone  was  absent,  but  it  was 
unavoidable,  although  his  presence  would  have 
been  an  additional  delight. 

341 


Those  of  our  grandchildren,  whose  age 
would  have  entitled  them  to  be  present  were 
ill  with  the  measles.  However,  the  next  birth- 
day which  we  celebrated,  dear  mother's  an- 
niversary, found  those  of  them  who  lived  in 
New  York  and  were  able  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves, with  us,  and  they  greatly  enjoyed  the 
occasion.  I  have  since  celebrated  my  seventy- 
fourth  birthday  anniversary  and  have  much 
to  be  thankful  for.  My  health  for  the  past 
few  years  has  not  been  so  good,  but  the  wear 
and  tear  on  a  machine  so  long  in  use  must  tell. 
It  will  require  some  oiling,  no  doubt,  as  the 
years  slip  by,  to  keep  it  running. 

Part  of  the  summer  of  1894  dear  mamma 
and  I  spent  at  Hot  Springs.  We  took  with  us 
our  model  maid,  Alice,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  summer  we  spent  at  Far  Rockaway,  where 
we  found  Zillah,  her  husband  and  two  lovely 
boys,  the  pride  of  their  dear  parents'  and 
grandparents'  hearts.  Howard,  the  baby,  was 
two  and  a  half  years  old.  He  is  a  charming 
little  fellow,  and  Joe,  his  elder  brother,  is  a  fine 
good  boy.  It  will  not  be  his  fault  if  he  is 
spoiled,  as  both  his  father  and  mother  are  doing 
their  share  toward  accomplishing  that  result. 

At  Hot  Springs  we  were  visited  by  my  sons 
Joseph  and  Aaron,  the  latter  accompanied  by 

342 


his  wife,  with  their  exemplary  boy,  Hans,  who 
was  a  general  favorite;  while  his  mother  was 
so  lovely  and  attractive,  that  sunshine  and  hap- 
piness seemed  part  of  her.  We  were  always 
very  fond  of  her.  Another  summer  when  at 
Hot  Springs,  Frances  was  with  us  and  we  were 
visited  by  Carl,  Ro  and  her  lovely  children. 
Their  stay  with  us  made  our  summer  all  that 
we  could  have  desired.  Zillah  and  Florence 
were  the  companions  of  dear  Frankie.  Dur- 
ing the  time  that  Carl  and  Rosa  were  not  there 
Frances  assumed  a  motherly  attitude  toward 
the  girls. 


An  extremely  kind  and  thoughtful  act  of 
which  I  have  in  recent  years  been  the  recipi- 
ent, and  for  which  I  feel  grateful,  was  the  at- 
tention of  Mr.  Michaels  in  presenting  me  with 
the  kev  of  the  house  in  which  I  was  born.  To 
it  is  attached  a  silver  plate,  on  which  is  in- 
scribed these  facts.  I  cannot  overestimate 
such  friendly  consideration.  The  sight  of  this 
souvenir  recalls  the  home  of  my  youth,  the  dear 
ones  now  gone  who  brightened  it,  and  all 
those  fond  recollections  that  centered  around 
the  birthplace,  hallowed  by  the  presence  of  my 

343 


adored  mother,  revered  father,  and  affection- 
ate brothers  and  sister.  These  memories  en- 
dear this  keepsake,  and  I  would  like  it  pre- 
served with  my  biography. 


For  a  quarter  of  a  century,  Mrs.  Seligman 
Reus  of  Bamberg,  Germany,  the  mother  of 
Henry  Rice,  has  heard  of  me  and  has  desired 
to  meet  me,  having  made  the  acquaintance  of 
four  of  my  children.  We  have  not  had  that 
pleasure  as  yet  although  our  families  have  inter- 
married to  such  an  extent,  that  it  seems  like  the 
union  of  two  streams  flowing  into  one  chan- 
nel. It  has,  however,  been  my  privilege  to 
show  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reus,  some  slight  atten- 
tions expressive  of  appreciation  and  respect, 
and  last  year,  they  honored  me  by  presenting 
me  with  a  silver  cup  inscribed  with  their  names, 
which  token  of  esteem  is  very  precious  coming 
from  such  a  source.  I  trust  my  children  will 
value  it  even  as  I  do,  and  remember  the  lovely 
feeling  which  induced  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reus  to 
bestow  this  gift  of  honorable  recognition  upon 
my  wife  and  myself. 


344 


Pauline  Stix,  the  wife  of  Henry  Stix,  was 
Pauline  Turnauer.  She  was  a  good,  noble  and 
lovely  woman,  dearly  beloved,  for  she  was  in- 
deed an  excellent  and  charming  wife,  and  her 
virtues  live  again  in  her  daughter,  Aurelia 
Rice,  who  keeps  up  the  same  high  standard. 
Let  me  here  express  the  wish  and  hope  that 
Aurelia's  descendants  may  emulate  her  perfec- 
tions and  those  of  her  worthy  brother,  Henry  S. 
Stix. 

I  would  gladly  venture  some  further  remarks 
about  dear  Aurelia,  but  fear  that  she  might 
consider  me  a  flatterer.  At  the  same  time,  I 
dread  that  I  should  do  her  less  justice  than 
she  merits.  I  will,  therefore,  content  myself 
with  an  expression  of  good  wishes  for  her  and 
her  worthy  brother.  May  they  never  be  less 
happy  than  I  imagine  them  to  be  to-day,  with 
their  most  delightful  families. 

I  was  present  at  the  funeral  of  dear  Harry 
Rice,  Aurelia's  eldest  son.  While  it  was  heart- 
rending to  see  the  bereaved  parents,  it  never- 
theless was  a  great  satisfaction  to  be  with 
them  and  share  with  them  their  hour  of 
mourning  and  sorrow.  On  my  departure, 
dear  Erna,  Aurelia's  daughter,  accompanied 
me  to  the  depot.  Before  entering  the  car,  in 
her  lovely  and  childish  way,  she  begged  me  not 

345 


to  forget  to  inscribe  her  name  in  my  memoir. 
But  little  did  I  think,  when  I  promised  her, 
that  this  dear  and  lovely  girl  would  follow  her 
beloved  brother  in  so  short  a  time.  Harry 
Rice  died  in  the  city  of  Boston,  while  at  school 
Shortly  before  his  death,  he  had  visited  me 
during  his  vacation.  Any  attention  shown  him 
was  always  greatly  appreciated  and  was  most 
thankfully  acknowledged.  His  faultless  char- 
acter and  strong  principles  were  evident. 
While  but  a  child,  driving  out  with  his  good 
mother  he  passed  a  peach  tree.  Some  de- 
licious looking  fruit  had  dropped  to  the  road- 
way. His  mother  wanted  him  to  pick  up  a  few 
peaches  that  were  lying  on  the  ground.  His 
answer  to  his  mother  was,  what  right  have  you 
to  those  peaches,  this  fruit  belongs  to  the  oc- 
cupant of  the  adjoining  land — he  would  only 
consent  to  pick  some  up  by  placing  an  equiva- 
lent in  money  in  their  stead.  The  annexed 
letter  was  received,  with  many  others,  from  his 
classmates  and  speaks  for  itself: 

My  Dear  Mrs.  Rice: 

My  heart  leads  me  at  this  time  to  write  a  few  lines 
to  comfort  you  in  this  sad  hour  of  your  bereavement. 

Knowing  and  appreciating  your  dear  boy's  pure 
and  noble  character,  his  remarkably  high  sense  of 

346 


honor,  and  the  elevated  moral  plane  upon  which  he 
walked.  I  believe  I  can  in  some  measure  enter  into 
the  sorrow  which  I  know  wrings  his  parents'  hearts. 

Do  not  feel  at  this  time  that  your  cup  is  one  of 
unmingled  sorrow,  for  your  boy's  life  was  well  spent, 
and  his  friends  who  knew  him  best  will  remember 
his  life  as  a  power  for  good,  as  lifting  up  to  them 
a  high  moral  standard,  which  few  men  of  to-day 
could  contemplate  without  blushing. 

"No  life  can  be  pure  in  its  purpose  and  strong  in  its  strife. 
And  all  life  not  be  purer  and  stronger  thereby." 

For  myself.  I  feel  proud  to-day  and  always  shall., 
to  say  that  your  son  was  one  of  my  most  honored 
friends,  snd  to  tell  others  of  his  pure  and  noble  life. 
His  memory  will  always  be  dear  to  me  and  to  all 
who  knew  him  as  I  did. 

Throughout  our  entire  course  as  classmates  your 
son's  character  was  the  highest  to  which  anyone  could 
point,  and  he  was  unanimously  admired  for  his  prin- 
ciples among  classmates  and  teachers. 

His  memory  will  be  a  source  of  pride,  joy  and  in- 
spiration to  all  who  knew  him.  and  my  hope  and 
prayer  is  that  the  assurance  of  this  truth  will  be  a 
source  of  comfort  to  his  parents  in  this  dark  hour  of 
sorrow.  May  God  bless  you  and  comfort  you  at 
this  time  of  distress,  is  the  prayer  of  both  my  mother 
and  myself. 

Your  very  sincere  friend. 

Thomas  C.  Dutro. 

How  shall  I  keep  my  promise  to  Erna.  who 
so  soon  followed  her  beloved  brother?  Her 

347 


summons  was  a  heartbreaking  occurrence,  and 
we  are  unable  to  see  the  wisdom  of  such  in- 
nocence and  youth  being  torn  away  from  its 
loved  ones. 

Charlie  proved  to  be  a  model  son  to  his  af- 
flicted parents. 


Isaac  Gundersheimer,  who  married  my 
wife's  sister  in  the  year  1853,  although  no  ac- 
quisition to  the  family,  was,  nevertheless,  an 
honest  man;  but  minus  all  business  qualifica- 
tions. His  inferiority  to  his  wife  was  quite 
perceptible,  and  she  felt  it  keenly.  She  was  in- 
clined to  keep  her  unhappy  situation  to  herself, 
but  it  was  not  long  before  she  saw  her  hus- 
band's total  incapacity  for  success  in  life.  A 
hatred  of  his  kin  was  engendered  which  was 
reciprocated  and,  as  time  advanced,  this  an- 
tipathy increased. 

Throughout  the  lives  of  Isaac  and  Louisa 
Gundersheimer  it  was  the  privilege  of  myself 
and  my  entire  family  to  render  them  unremit- 
ting kindnesses,  nay,  to  support  them.  This 
was  the  more  essential  as  Isaac's  family  were 
faithless  throughout. 


348 


I  have  written  less  in  my  biography  of 
Brother  Nathan  than  of  any  other  member  of 
my  beloved  family.  I  now  desire  to  refer  to 
him  and  his  dear  ones  in  the  very  highest  terms 
possible.  No  parents  ever  brought  up  better 
children.  During  the  prolonged  illness  of  my 
brother  his  wife  proved  herself  a  most  admir- 
able nurse.  Very  few  devoted  wives  could 
have  equaled  her  in  this  regard.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  ten  out  of  a  hundred  women  placed  in 
similar  trying  circumstances  could*  have  done 
as  well.  She  never  wearied  in  the  line  of  duty 
she  was  called  upon  to  perform.  May  they 
ever  have  cause  to  be  proud  of  their  offspring. 
That  good  health,  prosperity  and  happiness 
may  follow  them  through  life  is  the  sincere 
wish  of  their  affectionate  relative  who  pens 
these  lines  of  regard  and  appreciation. 


349 


I AM  now  over  74  years  old  and  have  passed 
54  years  in  America.  Up  to  this  day,  I 
have  never  given  a  mortgage,  except  for  pur- 
chase money  on  real  estate.  In  a  few  in- 
stances, many  years  ago,  we  used  accommoda- 
tion paper,  giving  and  receiving  it  in  rare  cases. 
In  the  year  1850  I  needed  endorsements  for  a 
considerable  amount  in  my  settlement  with  my 
creditors,  when  I  compromised  to  close  the 
business  of  Stix  &  Wallach.  I  have  always 
endeavored  to  be  liberal  in  helping  my  friends, 
but  my  greatest  losses  have  been  where  I  have 
loaned  money  to  relatives  to  enable  them  to 
make  a  living.  Money  has  never  been  an  ob- 
ject of  worship  to  either  my  wife  or  myself. 
She  has  always  taken  great  pleasure  in  giving 
it,  where  she  thought  it  would  be  of  assistance. 
Although  our  wants  have  tripled  from  what 
they  were  years  ago,  I  am  happy  to  say  I  am 
entirely  able  to  meet  them. 

The  winter  of  1894  and  1895  found  myself 
and  wife  on  a  visit  to  Cincinnati.  We  had  for 
a  long  time  been  enjoying  the  pleasure  in  an- 
ticipation, actually  counting  the  days  until  we 

350 


should  be  once  more  with  our  dear  ones,  and, 
indeed,  I  can  truly  say  that  the  realization  of 
our  hopes  in  this  respect  was  in  nowise  unsatis- 
factory, but  in  truth  rather  exceeded  our  ex- 
pectations. Our  stay  was  a  truly  delightful 
one,  and  the  time  most  gloriously  spent,  for  our 
dear  daughter  Ro  and  her  exemplary  children 
left  nothing  incomplete  to  add  to  our  enjoy- 
ment. Carl  Iglauer  is  a  man  of  domestic  tastes 
and  appreciates  his  home  most  thoroughly. 
Still  he  enjoys  a  change,  and  no  one  in  the 
family  showed  himself  more  ready  to  contribute 
to  our  happiness  than  himself.  Joe  Stix,  ever 
in  the  front  ranks,  strove  to  make  our  visit 
doubly  agreeable,  and  engaged  a  carriage 
which  was  placed  at  our  disposal  as  long  as  we 
were  with  them.  As  this  luxury  had  to  be  paid 
for  whether  it  was  used  or  not,  the  weather 
being  bad,  we  utilized  it  and  found  it  exceed- 
ingly convenient.  I  note  these  things,  trifles 
in  themselves,  but  delicate  attentions  which 
went  to  show  the  desire  of  our  children  to  en- 
tertain us  handsomely.  During  this  time  I 
saw  considerable  of  Belle,  Aaron  and  Hans, 
and  I  desire  to  say  that  I  wish  all  my  friends 
had  just  such  treasures  as  we  are  proud  to 
possess.  It  is  always  delightful  to  feel  assured 
that  there  is  reciprocity  when  in  the  society  of 

351 


those  we  love,  and  this  reunion  proved  no  ex- 
ception. My  sister  experienced  deep  satisfac- 
tion and  pleasure  in  our  company  and  we  had 
equal  gratification  in  hers.  Brother  Henry's 
wife  and  children,  and  brother  Nathan  and  his 
wife  and  family  made  frequent  visits  to  us. 
No  amount  of  disagreeable  weather,  not  even 
the  worst  and  most  boisterous,  could  deter 
them  from  spending  evening  after  evening  with 
us  in  social  intercourse.  We  were  also  the  re- 
cipients of  the  hospitality  of  Mrs.  Simon  Kuhn, 
my  old  "Schatz,"  and  Sophie  Wyler,  my  niece, 
who  once  declined  to  kiss  me,  even  though  I 
promised  to  present  her  with  a  silk  dress  as  a 
reward.  Most  women  would  have  regarded 
this  offer  as  a  sufficient  inducement  to  confer 
such  a  favor  upon  so  near  a  relative.  To  the 
names  of  our  hostesses  above  mentioned,  I  may 
add  that  of  Mrs.  Sophie  Strauss.  As  for  our 
relatives,  we  were  so  often  together  that  we 
hope  to  see  them  soon  at  our  residence  in  the 
East  to  renew  old  associations  and  to  prove 
that  their  kindness  on  that  occasion  is  not  for- 
gotten. 

In  the  summer  of  1895,  after  considerable 
entreaty,  Carrie's  husband  was  induced  to  ac- 
company us  to  Hot  Springs,  Virginia.  My 
sister  and  her  daughter  Aurelia  were  also  there, 

352 


but  distressed  by  the  recent  death  of  Aurelia's 
daughter  Mattie.  We  remained  there  about 
three  weeks,  and  until  the  latter  part  of  July, 
when  my  wife  and  I  returned  to  finish  the  sea- 
son at  Far  Rockaway.  My  daughter  Ro  met 
us  en  route,  at  Covington,  Virginia,  and  accom- 
panied us  with  her  children  to  the  seashore,  to 
avoid  the  excessive  heat.  Here  we  found  our- 
selves at  first  somewhat  crowded  for  space,  but 
were  soon  enabled  to  obtain  larger  apartments 
and  more  comfortable  accommodations.  Tak- 
ing it  all  in  all  though,  there  is  a  vast  differ- 
ence between  a  temporary  residence  and  one's 
home  comforts.  However,  we  enjoyed  our 
hotel  life,  and  found  it  a  pleasant  change.  Our 
trip  to  Far  Rockaway  was  made  doubly  de- 
lightful by  the  fact  that  we  were  in  the  midst 
of  our  dear  ones  and  saw  much  of  them.  I 
took  several  sea  baths  for  the  first  time  in  many 
years,  and  we  passed  an  exceedingly  pleasant 
summer,  enhanced  by  the  society  of  dear  Ro 
and  her  children,  whose  presence  was  a  con- 
tinual treat  to  us.  As  may  easily  be  supposed, 
we  did  not  suffer  for  want  of  company,  having 
not  only  three  of  our  children,  but  six  of  our 
grandchildren.  There  are  some  seasons  espe- 
cially delightful,  and  this  outing  brought  pleas- 
ure long  to  be  remembered.    We  returned  to 

353 


the  city  three  days  sooner  than  we  expected  on 
account  of  dear  Carrie.  But  Carrie,  with  her 
usual  thoughtfulness,  wishing  to  save  her 
mother,  had  procured  an  efficient  nurse,  and  I 
need  not  say  how  delighted  we  were  to  find 
Carrie  doing  well,  and  with  what  pleasure  we 
greeted  the  little  stranger  girl,  Carol,  who  had 
been  added  to  our  family  circle. 

My  aim  has  always  been  to  secure  concord 
and  affection  in  my  family,  and  I  feel  that  this 
delightful  result  has  been  secured.  In  this  re- 
spect, I  have  endeavored  to  follow  the  excellent 
example  ever  before  us  under  my  dear  father's 
roof ;  yet  I  have  always  believed  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  any  human  being  to  have  the  same 
degree  of  love  for  each  and  every  member  in 
his  household.  In  my  own  case,  I  honored  and 
respected  my  father  as  much  as  any  son  could, 
but  my  feeling  toward  my  adored  mother  was 
of  a  character  much  more  tender  and  affection- 
ate. Some  persons  attract  us  like  the  magnet, 
by  a  power  unseen  but  irresistible ;  while  others 
might  repel  if  not  bound  to  us  by  laws  of  con- 
sanguinity, which  every  feeling  of  kinship 
prompts  us  to  respect  and  to  cultivate.  The 
one  is  spontaneous,  springing  up  unconsciously 
within  us,  and  taking  firm  and  lasting  root ;  the 
other  requires  training  and  culture. 

354 


Throughout  my  whole  life  I  have  claimed 
this  privilege,  and  acted  upon  it  by  treating 
my  ten  children  with  perfect  independence; 
but  I  trust  they  will  never  commit  the  indiscre- 
tion of  measuring  my  affection  by  what  one 
may  have  received  from  me  in  excess  of  an- 
other ;  for  by  doing  so,  they  would  do  me  an  in- 
justice, and  I  would  impress  upon  the  minds 
of  all  the  fact  that  I  have  intended  to  treat  all 
impartially,  and  that  sometimes  circumstances, 
and  not  favoritism,  have  induced  me  to  act  as 
I  thought  best.  Thus  far  my  whole  family  has 
shown  a  lovely  spirit,  each  interested  in  the 
other's  cause,  pleading  it  more  eloquently 
than  their  own,  which  has  added  greatly  to 
my  happiness  and  enjoyment.  It  has  always 
been  a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  me  to  see 
them  together.    May  it  ever  thus  continue. 

Dear  Zillah  and  her  husband  lived  with  us 
for  about  ten  years  and  there  was  not  a  moment 
that  we  did  not  feel  delighted  to  have  them 
under  our  roof.  They  added  much  to  the 
pleasures  of  our  home  by  their  happy  disposi- 
tions. They  seemed  to  be  perfectly  satisfied, 
but  finally  made  up  their  minds  to  commence 
housekeeping  for  themselves.  We  had  a  pleas- 
ant home  while  together,  and  after  our  sep- 
aration were  still  very  near  to  each  other. 

355 


Now  there  is  but  one  house  between  our  homes. 
Zillah  comes  in  from  three  to  five  times  a  day, 
and  we  often  retire,  leaving  Joseph  F.  Cullman 
and  wife,  and  Samuel  W.  Weiss  and  his  wife 
with  some  member  of  our  immediate  family. 
They  jokingly  complain  of  being  insulted  and 
declare  they  will  not  visit  us  again  for  a  long 
time,  but  next  day  the  same  occurrence  is  re- 
peated. They  always  give  us  new  pleasure 
each  time  they  come.  Joe  Junior  occasionally 
drops  in,  but  Howard,  a  shining  light  for  his 
age,  is  a  great  deal  with  his  grandma,  who  is 
very  happy  in  his  company.  Howard,  when 
but  a  babe,  was  asked  by  his  grandma  to  come 
in  the  house — he  replied,  "Not  to-day,  I  will 
come  to  see  you  to-morrow."  He  is  really  a 
lovely,  wonderful  boy,  and  it  is  a  great  pleasure 
to  see  as  much  of  him  as  we  do.  He  has  been 
on  a  diet  for  about  a  year,  and  submits  so  will- 
ingly to  its  requirements — asking  only  for  a 
piece  of  stale  bread — that  it  hurts  our  feelings, 
as  we  would  gladly  give  him  palatable  dain- 
ties. But  without  his  mother's  consent  he 
will  not  accept.  His  grandma  would  like  to 
indulge  him,  if  it  were  only  wise  to  do  so. 


356 


THE  four-leaved  clovers  are  generally  hid- 
den from  view,  and  it  requires  both  time 
and  patience  to  find  them  along  the  country 
roadside  or  upon  the  velvet  lawn.  They  are 
as  modest  and  unpretentious  as  the  blue-eyed 
violet  in  the  woodland  shade,  without  osten- 
tation or  display,  or  gaudy,  brilliant  colors. 
For  these  charming  qualities,  sweetness  with- 
out obtrusion,  they  appeal  to  our  heart's  affec- 
tion. They  are  the  floral  exceptions  which 
nature  has  bestowed  upon  us  with  no  prodigal- 
ity, that  we  may  appreciate  them  more  fully, 
on  account  of  their  rarity.  Many  a  group  of 
young  people  have  looked  for  them  in  vain,  and 
becoming  weary  of  the  useless  quest,  have 
ceased  searching.  But  some  one,  more  fortu- 
nate than  the  rest,  suddenly  spies  this  "prom- 
ise of  good-luck,"  and  plucks  it  joyfully,  to  tri- 
umph over  his  disappointed  companions.  This 
rare  gift  of  nature  seems  to  me  a  most  appro- 
priate symbol  of  my  beloved  daughters,  four 
in  number,  each  one  forming  a  perfect  petal 
in  fortune's  emblem  just  described.  So  I  love 
to  think  of  them  as  my  "Four-Leaved  Clover," 
for  they  have  indeed  brought  into  their  domes- 

357 


tic  circles  love,  peace  and  contentment,  the 
greatest  boons  vouchsafed  to  mortal. 

They  have  crowned  one  united  stem,  their 
dear  mother  and  myself,  with  honor  and  true 
happiness.  Although  I  have  dwelt  on  this 
heartfelt  tribute  to  my  daughters  in  this  com- 
plimentary strain,  I  sincerely  trust  that  my 
other  children  will  not  regard  themselves 
slighted,  because  not  especially  commended. 
Their  conduct  too  is  worthy  of  all  praise;  only 
this  little  fancy  came  into  my  mind  while  writ- 
ing, and  I  have  here  attempted  to  give  it  ex- 
pression, hoping  that  it  will  afford  my 
daughters  the  same  pleasure  in  perusing,  as  it 
has  their  father  in  inditing  these  lines,  affec- 
tionately dedicated  to  them. 

I  have  sometimes  mentally  compared  our 
perfect  domestic  harmony  to  a  vehicle  which 
has  carried  us  safely  through  life's  journey. 
My  dear  wife  and  myself,  forming  the  axle, 
and  my  four  daughters  representing  the  hubs ; 
my  six  sons  with  their  four  wives  may  be 
likened  to  the  spokes,  and  my  four  sons-in-law 
form  the  rims  to  bind  and  keep  the  wheels  in- 
tact. Our  lovely  grandchildren  occupy  the 
vehicle,  and  I  trust  they  may  be  guided 
throughout  the  highway  which  stretches  be- 
fore them,  by  the  same  sentiments  which  have 

358 


transported  their  parents  and  grandparents 
along  flowery  paths,  without  distressing  thorns 
or  brambles  to  prick  or  tear,  and  with  no 
ragged  stones  or  sharp  rocks  to  stop  their  prog- 
ress. Our  four  daughters  whom  I  have 
designated  as  the  hubs,  revolve  constantly 
around  the  axle,  and  furnish  the  lubricating 
substance,  affection  and  forbearance  in  such 
abundance,  that  the  supply  is  inexhaustible. 
The  more  it  is  used,  the  more  freely  it  flows. 
Inventors  have  expended  immense  fortunes  in 
patenting  contrivances  which  would  render 
perpetual  motion  possible  in  machinery  without 
friction,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  Both  skill  and 
ingenuity  have  failed.  Oil  must  be  replen- 
ished, or  the  rasping  of  the  delicate  parts  will 
eventually  destroy  their  usefulness  and  render 
them  utterly  worthless.  We,  however,  have 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  effect  a  discovery  which 
we  are  willing  to  make  universally  known,  in 
order  that  discord  and  friction  may  be  forever 
banished  from  every  household.  We  can 
honestly  recommend  our  patent,  for  we  have 
seen  it  in  use,  and  we  will  charge  nothing  to 
anyone  who  would  like  to  adopt  it.  True  af- 
fection and  forbearance  will  smooth  over  every 
difficulty,  and  save  many  a  heartache.  Try 
the  prescription  and  I  will  be  responsible  for 

359 


its  efficacy.  This  gentle,  delightful  peace, 
which  should  be  the  controlling  element  in 
every  family  desiring  happiness,  is  a  blessing 
which  we  have  unmistakably  enjoyed,  and 
which,  I  trust,  has  come  to  make  its  permanent 
home  in  our  midst,  abiding  with  our  eighteen 
worthy  children,  and  eighteen  model  grand- 
children even  as  with  us.  May  these  lines, 
penned  by  my  hand  and  emanating  from  my 
heart,  induce  you,  my  children,  to  cultivate  this 
spirit  of  loving  friendship  forever.  Let  me 
warn  you,  should  any  misunderstanding  come 
between  you,  have  it  satisfactorily  explained, 
and  then  dismiss  it  entirely  from  your  minds, 
bearing  no  grudge,  especially  to  one  of  your 
own  kin.  Stand  together,  work  for  one  pur- 
pose, the  universal  good  of  all.  Have  peace 
at  any  cost,  for  in  "Union  there  is  strength." 
I  have  ever  been  on  good  terms  with  my  dear 
ones,  and  if  you  will  follow  my  example  in 
this  respect  you  will  experience  the  same  re- 
ward which  I  now  enjoy.  If  you  look  for 
trouble,  you  will  surely  find  it.  May  harmony 
and  affection  accompany  you  through  life ! 

In  writing  about  our  dear,  good  and  lovely 
grandchildren,  I  shall  carefully  avoid  all  criti- 

360 


cism,  comparison  or  eulogy,  desiring  by  this 
wise  precaution,  to  obviate  all  jealousy.  I 
shall  simply  confine  my  remarks  to  a  few  inci- 
dents which  have  come  under  my  observation 
and  which  at  the  time  of  their  occurrence 
pleased  and  amused  me. 

In  the  year  1884,  when  Joe,  Jr.,  was  about  22 
months  old,  he  showed  remarkable  considera- 
tion for  such  a  very  young  child,  and  well 
worthy  of  imitation  by  those  of  more  advanced 
years,  by  asking  his  grandmother  to  close  the 
windows  for  fear  grandfather  might  catch  cold. 
William  was  about  7  months  old  when  we  once 
returned  from  Saratoga.  We  were  all  seated 
around  the  dinner  table  and  he  called  out 
plainly,  "Grandpa."  At  four  years  of  age  he 
read  nearly  all  the  advertisements  on  the  fences 
while  passing  them  in  the  elevated  trains,  to 
the  great  astonishment  of  those  who  saw  him 
and  heard  what  he  was  saying.  Two  years 
later,  at  the  age  of  six,  I  made  some  erroneous 
statement,  as  "Twice  three  makes  five."  Wil- 
liam, who  was  asked  by  his  father  whether 
what  I  said  was  correct,  answered,  he  knew  it 
was  not,  but  that  he  would  not  contradict  his 
grandpa.  Dear  Carrie  once  asked  William's 
teacher  how  he  succeeded  in  school.  She  re- 
plied that  he  was  the  youngest  scholar  in  the 

361 


class,  by  far  the  brightest  and  best,  and  the  most 
inquisitive  child  she  had  met — he  had  only  one 
fault  which  was  that  he  was  not  neat  about 
his  papers;  they  were  quite  untidy  and  gave 
evidence  of  carelessness  on  his  part.  His 
mother,  desiring  to  correct  this  defect,  sent  him 
to  wash  his  hands  before  he  prepared  his  writ- 
ing lesson.  He  came  back  with  his  right  hand 
white  and  clean  but  his  left  hand  still  soiled. 
She  then  asked  him  why  he  had  not  treated 
both  hands  in  the  same  way.  He  answered 
that  he  only  touched  the  paper  with  his  right 
hand,  so  could  not  understand  why  he  should 
also  wash  the  left  hand.  I  received  a  beautiful 
letter  from  William  written  when  he  was  about 
six  years  old,  thanking  me  in  German  for  some 
gift  I  had  bestowed  on  a  certain  occasion.  At 
the  same  time  his  grandfather  Weiss  showed 
me  a  letter  he  had  received  from  him  written 
in  English,  and  his  cousin  Mae  was  favored 
with  one  in  French  from  our  little  linguist. 

I  have  also  preserved,  with  the  letters  from 
William,  some  from  Lawrence,  beautifully 
written  and  well  worth  preserving.  He  is  far 
advanced  in  his  class,  although  its  youngest 
member.  His  brother,  Edgar,  is  a  good  and 
charming  child.  Nina  is  very  lovely  and  ami- 
able, and  during  the  last  year  has  wonderfully 

362 


improved.  Her  brother,  Louis,  is  a  big  strap- 
ping boy,  as  good  as  he  is  sizable.  No  doubt 
he  will  take  after  the  writer,  for  whom  he 
was  named.  Hans  is  a  bright,  beautiful  child. 
When  he  was  with  us  he  was  three  years  old, 
and  he  then  used  language  which  astonished 
everybody.  His  high-sounding  words  and 
long  sentences  would  have  suited  a  professor. 
The  guests  at  the  hotel  were  particularly 
pleased  at  his  proficiency,  and  listened  to  him 
with  surprise.  Florence  is  a  most  industrious 
and  diligent  pupil  and  stands  first  in  her  class. 
If  I  had  worked  one  quarter  as  faithfully  at 
study  as  she  works,  it  might  have  greatly  bene- 
fitted me.  Her  father  has  done  all  he  could 
to  spoil  her,  but  she  is  too  good  to  have  his 
indulgence  work  to  her  disadvantage.  Zillah's 
last  letter  on  my  birthday  is  beautifully  written, 
and  has  been  carefully  preserved  on  account 
of  its  merits.  In  many  respects,  she  resembles 
her  grandfather,  thinking  independently  for 
herself.  She  will  always  be  more  of  a  leader 
than  one  willing  to  be  led.  Addie  is  already 
a  little  woman,  acting  far  older  than  her  years. 
She  has  never  appeared  like  a  child,  but  is  nat- 
urally a  lady,  always  amiable,  and  an  excellent 
scholar.  Mae  has  a  sweet  disposition  and,  like 
her  sister,  is  bright  and  lovely.    Dorothy  ap- 

363 


pears  intelligent,  has  quick,  keen  eyes,  but  as 
to  her  language,  it  is  altogether  beyond  my 
comprehension.  I  fear  my  education  has  been 
sadly  neglected,  for  it  is  to  me  a  mystery.  Her 
parents  are  very  fond  of  music  and  she  often 
entertains  them  with  her  operatic  dramas, 
without  any  charge.  Once  after  a  lapse  of 
time  when  Dorothy  saw  her  grandmother,  she 
fairly  jumped  from  her  nurse's  arms  to  wel- 
come her  in  a  manner  I  have  never  seen  equaled 
by  a  six  months  old  child.  Ruth  Zidone  Stix 
Mann  was  born  August  7th,  1897,  and  we  were 
delighted  at  the  happy  advent.  A  most  lovely 
child.  May  she  become  the  pride  of  her  par- 
ents and  grandparents !  May  bright  sunshine 
accompany  her  through  a  happy,  long  and  use- 
ful life!  I  may  congratulate  myself  on  one 
thing,  and  that  is  that  my  children  have  not  had 
as  many  little  ones  as  my  parents  or  as  we 
had;  for  100  grandchildren  would  be  almost 
too  many  to  write  about.  I  should  never  have 
undertaken  such  an  herculean  task,  for  the  old 
glazier  would  have  found  it  too  difficult  to  do 
justice  to  such  an  immense  number.  My 
grandparents  were  blessed  with  ten  children: 
seven  sons  and  three  daughters  and  we  our- 
selves have  been  favored  with  four  daughters 
and  six  sons. 

364 


DESPITE  my  intention  to  spare  my  de- 
scendants and  discontinue  further  rem- 
iniscence, I  continue,  because  I  find  it  pleas- 
urable, hoping  even  that  it  may  have  an  effect 
for  good  upon  those  for  whom  it  is  intended. 

I  was  frequently  invited  to  meet  my  neigh- 
bors on  Seventy-first  Street  for  the  purpose 
of  waiting  on  the  city  authorities,  to  try  and 
have  our  Belgian  block  pavement  replaced  by 
asphalt.  A  committee  was  formed  with  a  Mr. 
Clark  as  chairman.  Later,  however,  at  the 
mayor's  office,  when  it  was  learned  that  I  was 
personally  acquainted  with  the  mayor,  I  was 
appointed  chairman  in  place  of  Mr.  Clark.  The 
committee  called  on  the  mayor.  As  we  en- 
tered the  office,  which  was  crowded  with  peo- 
ple (it  being  a  street  opening  day),  the  mayor 
recognized  the  writer,  and  bowed  to  him  in 
a  most  friendly  manner.  After  the  meeting 
had  adjourned  the  mayor  entered  the  waiting- 
room  and  asked  who  had  come  first,  at  the 
same  time  remarking,  "Old  age  first.  What 
do  you  wish,  Mr.  Stix?"  The  writer  intro- 
duced himself  as  chairman,  and  Mr.  Clark  as 

365 


his  attorney.  The  latter  presented  our  case  to 
the  mayor,  who  after  hearing  our  wants,  re- 
quested the  writer  to  send  him  a  letter  and 
state  our  case.  The  writer,  apprehensive  that 
it  might  be  opened  by  a  clerk  and  consigned  to 
the  waste  basket,  sent  his  office  boy  to  his 
honor,  to  inquire  what  time  would  suit  his 
convenience  to  have  the  writer  call  on  him. 
My  friend  the  mayor  answered  that  any  time 
that  suited  me  he  would  find  convenient.  In  less 
than  fifteen  minutes  I  appeared  before  the  door- 
keeper, who  had  orders  not  to  admit  any  one. 
After  repeating  the  message  I  had  just  re- 
ceived from  the  mayor,  he  remembered  that  I 
was  the  only  exception,  and  admitted  me  at 
once.  After  a  friendly  chat,  the  mayor  ex- 
plained that  although  he  was  perfectly  willing 
to  grant  my  request,  he  had  no  funds  for  that 
purpose.  My  committee  had  made  arrange- 
ments to  meet  me  that  evening.  To  them  I 
told  the  following  story.  A  Mr.  Lasky  who 
lived  in  Poland  failed  in  business.  The  un- 
fortunate merchant  owed  his  friend  and  neigh- 
bor, one  Joroslasky,  quite  an  amount.  Joro- 
slasky  called  on  his  friend  Lasky,  and  asked 
him,  "What  have  you  done  for  your  life-long, 
confidential  friend  ?"  Mr.  Lasky  thereupon  re- 
plied, "I  have  had  many  sleepless  and  troubled 

366 


nights  thinking  how  I  could  show  you  a  prefer- 
ence. I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
only  preference  I  can  show  you  is  to  let  you 
know  to-day  that  you  will  get  nothing,  while 
my  other  creditors  will  not  learn  this  for 
months/'  The  committee  required  no  further 
explanation. 

In  a  few  days,  however,  Mr.  Clark  called 
again,  and  the  writer  showed  him  an  account 
of  an  appropriation  which  had  been  passed  for 
some  work,  but  which,  on  account  of  the  great 
steepness  of  the  street,  the  company  was  un- 
willing to  undertake  to  guarantee.  This  re- 
fusal left  the  city  about  double  the  amount 
required  to  asphalt  our  street.  Mr.  Clark  and 
the  writer  at  once  called  upon  the  mayor,  who 
promised  to  investigate  the  matter,  and  see 
what  he  could  do  for  us.  Next  day  we  were 
delighted  to  learn  that  we  had  been  successful. 
I  later  heard  the  following  amusing  report  of 
these  proceedings.  The  boot-black  on  our  cor- 
ner told  my  son,  Otto,  that  there  was  an  old 
man,  a  friend  of  the  mayor's,  who  lived  on  the 
block,  and  through  his  influence  the  block  had 
been  asphalted. 

About  the  same  time  my  friend,  Mr.  Jacob 
F.  Cullman,  who  knew  me  to  be  a  friend  of  the 
mayor's,  asked  me  to  please  see  the  mayor,  and 

367 


request  him  to  perform  the  ceremony  at  his 
marriage.  I  made  this  request,  and  the  mayor 
replied  that  he  had  never  done  this  before, 
but  if  it  would  be  a  favor  to  me,  and  if  he 
were  well  enough,  he  would  gladly  do  it.  My 
friend's  brother  later  called  on  the  mayor  and 
reminded  him  of  this  promise.  The  mayor 
declared  that  he  was  ready  to  perform  the  cere- 
mony, and  shortly  afterwards  I  accompanied 
him  to  the  wedding  of  my  friend.  After 
drinking  the  health  of  the  happy  couple  we  left, 
and  Mr.  S.  W.  Weiss  accompanied  the  mayor 
after  having  seen  me  home.  Mr.  Cullman  sent 
him  a  hundred  dollars  for  his  favorite  charity, 
and  a  hundred  fine  cigars.  I  next  met  the 
mayor  at  his  office  when  calling  on  him  for  his 
usual  donation  to  the  Hospital  Saturday  and 
Sunday  Association.  I  later  met  him  again  at 
Mr.  Bernheimer's  funeral,  when,  while  walking 
with  me,  he  remarked,  "I  wonder  who  of  us 
two  will  be  the  next  to  follow  our  mutual 
friend.,, 


Mr.  Lauterbach,  our  friend  and  lawyer  of 
the  Mount  Sinai  Hospital,  through  his  unceas- 
ing energy  has  managed  to  have  a  law  passed 

368 


by  the  legislature,  allowing  our  city  author- 
ities, at  their  discretion,  to  assist  the  hospital 
by  furnishing  a  sum  of  money  to  meet  in  part 
our  immense  expenses.  These  expenses  are 
constantly  increasing  on  account  of  the  increas- 
ing number  of  patients  we  have  been  treating 
gratis,  and  because  of  the  fact  that  we  are  con- 
templating building  a  much  larger  institution, 
thereby  increasing  our  capacity  twofold,  and 
our  expenses  in  a  corresponding  degree.  Be- 
cause of  the  immense  amount  of  money  we 
received  both  from  our  members  and  patrons 
for  a  new  building,  the  board  of  directors  hesi- 
tated to  decide  upon  the  new  building,  without 
further  investigation.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed, consisting  of  Mr.  Wallach,  chairman, 
Mr.  Isaac  Stern,  Mr.  George  Blumenthal  and 
myself,  to  wait  on  the  city  authorities,  and 
ascertain  what  aid  we  might  expect  from  them. 
We  encountered  the  opposition  of  the  comp- 
troller and  of  many  young  doctors.  The  doc- 
tors complained  that  we  were  taking  the  bread 
out  of  their  mouths;  while  the  comptroller, 
although  he  spoke  in  the  highest  and  most 
complimentary  terms  of  our  institution  and 
the  management  thereof,  said  that  we  were  rich 
enough,  and  did  not  require  aid  from  the  city; 
while  the  city,  on  the  other  hand,  was  poor, 

369 


and  needed  all  her  income  herself.  Despite 
this  opposition,  we  succeeded  in  our  worthy  un- 
dertaking, and  have  been  the  recipient  ever 
since  of  about  one-fifth  of  our  expenses.  We 
owe  our  thanks  to  Mr.  Lauterbach,  who  has 
worked  for  us  gratuitously  ever  since  I  have 
been  connected  with  the  institution;  to  Mr. 
Wallach,  president  of  the  board  of  directors, 
who  worked  with  untiring  energy  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  he  was  not  in  the  best 
of  health;  to  Mayor  Strong,  one  of  the  best 
mayors  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  be  blessed 
with,  who  at  all  times  unselfishly  acted  for  the 
best  and  who  was  always  the  friend  of  the 
poor.  We  also  owe  our  thanks  to  Mr.  George 
Blumenthal,  both  because  of  his  .liberal  sub- 
scription, and  also  because  through  him  we 
were  saved  the  necessity  of  paying  much  inter- 
est monies ;  and  to  the  entire  board  of  directors, 
without  exception,  who  all  did  their  parts  most 
nobly. 


In  February,  1896,  we  visited  Cincinnati. 
Of  this  visit  I  retain  many  pleasant  recollec- 
tions. First,  there  was  the  wedding  of  our 
niece,  Alice,  daughter  of  brother  Nathan  and 

370 


sister  Ricka ;  a  most  happy  event  in  our  family 
circle.  It  pleased  us  greatly  to  be  with  our 
dear  brothers,  sisters,  children  and  grandchil- 
dren, and  our  numerous  nieces  and  nephews. 
We  also  participated  in  many  feasts  and  were 
grateful  at  having  escaped  a  doctor's  bill.  A 
pleasant  event  was  the  birth  of  dear  Belle's 
most  lovely  boy,  Tom,  who  was  born  on  Feb- 
ruary 2 1  st.  May  the  newcomer  grow  up  to 
be  a  fine  man,  the  pride  of  his  dear  parents  and 
grandparents,  and  may  he  give  pleasure  to  all 
who  have  his  interest  at  heart. 

We  went  to  Arverne  for  the  summer  of  1896. 
Carl  with  his  dear  family  had  rooms  next  to 
ours.  We  again  had  as  pleasant  a  time  as  we 
had  enjoyed  the  previous  year.  But  Carl  and 
his  family  left  rather  early.  Dear  Carrie,  by 
the  advice  of  her  physician,  had  engaged  rooms 
for  herself,  her  two  children,  Louis  and  Carol, 
and  their  nurse,  at  the  Grand  Hotel  in  the 
Catskill  Mountains.  Mr.  Weiss,  who  had  ac- 
companied her  there  returned  the  next  morning. 
Carrie,  who  went  there  for  her  children's 
health,  soon  found  the  hotel  unaccommodating 
and  unreliable.  She  was  not  treated  as  she  had 
been  promised,  for  she  was  placed  on  the  third 
floor  of  the  hotel,  and  there  was  no  elevator 
in  the  building.    Despite  the  doctor's  orders, 

371 


she  determined  to  return,  as  she  felt  her  chil- 
dren would  be  better  off  at  home  than  in  a 
place  where  they  were  so  inconvenienced.  The 
summer  was  one  of  the  hottest  we  had  had  for 
years,  and  Carrie  returned  in  the  midst  of  a 
hot  spell.  The  Saturday  after  her  return  she 
and  her  family  visited  us  at  Arverne,  and  we 
managed  to  persuade  her  to  remain  with  us  and 
send  for  the  necessary  clothes.  She  stayed 
with  us  the  rest  of  the  summer,  and  we  were 
delighted  to  see  baby  Carol  improve  from  day 
to  day.  Although  the  summer  was  exception- 
ally hot,  we  always  managed  to  be  comfortable, 
and  quite  luckily  we  had  but  few  mosquitos 
that  year,  although  as  a  rule  they  were  very 
plentiful  there.  Altogether,  we  spent  a  very 
pleasant  summer,  seeing  a  great  deal  of  our 
dear  ones  from  Far  Rockaway.  At  the  end  of 
the  summer  we  all  returned  in  good  health, 
including  dear  Carol  and  Louis,  who  had  also 
been  slightly  indisposed. 

In  1897  we  again  engaged  rooms  at  Arverne. 
Our  family  visited  us  quite  frequently,  and  in 
the  intervals  we  visited  them.  The  Iglauers 
had  taken  rooms  in  Atlantic  City  on  their  doc- 
tor's recommendation,  as  Carl  did  not  feel  very 
well.  But  at  the  end  of  his  vacation  he  re- 
turned in  good  health.    The  Weiss  family 

372 


spent  their  vacation  on  the  Jersey  coast.  All 
our  children  frequently  visited  us.  Dear  Syl- 
van's  business,  always  laborious,  required  all 
his  attention.  Indeed  frequently  we  did  not 
see  him  for  a  week  at  a  time,  for  he  usually 
left  the  house  even  before  the  servants  had 
arisen,  and  returned  after  we  were  all  in  bed. 
Therefore  his  frequent  visits  to  us  during  this 
summer  were  the  more  astonishing.  But  the 
time  he  spent  in  our  company  was  short,  for  the 
attraction  which  drew  him  to  Arverne  was  not 
his  parents,  but  a  stronger  loadstone  of  flesh 
and  blood.  Sylvan  seemed  to  me  rather  young, 
and  as  though  he  had  not  as  yet  saved  enough 
to  support  a  family  properly,  to  my  mind.  But 
in  the  face  of  my  opposition  the  marriage  was 
consummated.  I  wish  now  to  declare  my  sin- 
cere appreciation  of  dear  Florence.  Her  most 
beautiful  conduct  has  proven  her  worthy  and 
deserving  of  our  love  and  admiration,  and  I 
am  greatly  pleased  to  think  that  each  and  every 
one  of  my  family  entertain  the  same  sentiments 
towards  her  that  I  do. 

On  March  16th  of  the  year  1898,  Sylvan 
and  Florence  were  married.  The  members  of 
both  families  were  the  happy  witnesses  of  this 
event.  We  feel  most  proud  to  be  able  to  count 
Florence  as  one  of  our  family,  and  I  am  sure 

373 


that  she  and  her  husband  will  have  a  happy 
and  successful  life. 

In  1898  we  decided  to  change  from  our  usual 
course  of  summer  procedure,  because  dear 
mother  did  not  feel  so  well  at  the  end  of  the 
season  at  Arverne.  So  we  arranged  to  stop 
at  the  United  States  Hotel  at  Saratoga.  I 
wrote  to  all  my  brothers  and  sisters  to  try  and 
meet  us  there.  Sister  Caroline  and  sister  Han- 
nah were  unable  to  do  so  on  account  of  previous 
engagements,  while  Mrs.  Henry  Stix  could 
not  leave  home  as  she  was  busy  preparing  for 
the  approaching  marriage  of  her  daughter 
Adele.  These  were  the  only  ones  missing 
from  our  reunion.  My  wife  and  I  met  William 
Stix  and  his  wife,  Nathan  Stix  and  his  wife, 
and  Henry  Stix,  and  we  enjoyed  ourselves 
greatly,  and  we  all  consider  this  reunion  as  one 
of  the  pleasantest  events  of  our  lives.  Despite 
our  pleasure,  the  extreme  heat  did  not  tend  to 
cause  us  to  prolong  our  stay,  it  being  so  in- 
tense that  I  was  confined  to  my  couch  part  of 
the  time,  having  been  affected  by  it.  Many  left 
very  soon  for  cooler  quarters  in  the  mountains, 
or  by  the  sea.  Henry  Stix  returned  home. 
William  Stix  and  his  wife  went  to  Niagara  to 
join  their  children  who  were  spending  the  sum- 
mer there.    Nathan  Stix  and  his  wife  remained 

374 


to  take  the  water  cure,  while  we  engaged  rooms 
at  the  Kaaterskill  Hotel  and  left  as  soon  as 
possible.  Although  I  very  reluctantly  wore  a 
light  overcoat  at  the  start,  before  we  arrived 
at  our  destination  I  felt  the  want  of  a  heavy 
coat.  We  found  the  change  most  agreeable, 
and  the  mountain  air  most  invigorating.  We 
met  many  pleasant  and  congenial  friends,  and 
found  the  accommodations  very  good  in  every 
respect,  except  that  our  rooms  were  not  all  we 
could  have  desired.  We  soon  changed  them 
and  got  two  of  the  best  in  the  hotel.  These 
quarters  we  occupied  for  the  next  three  sea- 
sons. Otto  visited  us  quite  frequently,  but 
the  other  members  of  the  family  we  missed 
greatly,  especially  as  we  had  been  accustomed 
to  see  many  of  them  almost  daily.  In  August 
when  dear  mother  learned  that  the  Iglauers 
were  living  at  our  house  in  New  York,  she 
wished  to  return  and  see  them,  but  Otto  tele- 
graphed us  that  it  would  be  foolish  to  return 
to  the  city  as  the  heat  was  awful.  This  tele- 
gram also  kept  many  of  the  other  guests  who 
had  expected  to  leave.  But  I  could  not  induce 
dear  mother  to  remain  after  August  28th,  so 
we  returned  then.  W e  had  had  a  very  pleasant 
summer,  and  felt  the  benefit  of  it  during  the 
following  winter.    We  found  Rosa,  Zillah  and 

375 


Florence  Iglauer  at  our  house  in  New  York, 
and  we  were  all  greatly  pleased  to  see  each 
other  again. 

The  next  summer,  though  we  intended  to 
return  to  the  Kaaterskill  Hotel,  we  both  felt 
quite  unwell.  I  myself  had  been  under  the  doc- 
tor's care  for  some  weeks,  but  was  feeling  bet- 
ter and  hoped  the  mountain  air  would  restore 
me  to  my  usual  health.  Mother,  however,  was 
not  so  ready  to  go.  She,  too,  had  been  ill,  and 
we  found  it  necessary  to  get  a  trained  nurse 
for  her,  after  her  daughters  had  helped  her  for 
a  few  nights.  We  were  thinking  of  taking  a 
nurse  to  the  mountains  with  us,  but  Carrie, 
who  was  always  ready  to  help  us  in  every  way 
she  could,  volunteered  to  accompany  us  and 
take  the  part  of  a  nurse.  She  took  her  two 
younger  children,  Louis  and  Carol,  and  their 
nurse  with  her.  Dear  mother  had  a  very  good 
trip  and  improved  very  rapidly,  and  soon  she 
had  no  trouble  at  all.  The  two  little  children 
were  a  source  of  great  pleasure  and  entertain- 
ment to  us  all.  Otto,  Aaron,  Rosa  and  her 
children,  and  Mr.  Weiss  visited  us  during  the 
summer,  and  we  enjoyed  seeing  them  very 
much.  On  the  whole  we  had  a  very  pleasant 
time,  and  we  both  had  good  cause  to  be  thank- 
ful for  our  improved  health.    We  again  met 

376 


many  friends  whom  we  had  seen  the  previous 
summer,  and  these  all  helped  to  make  our  stay 
enjoyable. 

My  grandson,  Louis  Stix  Weiss,  used  to  en- 
joy looking  out  of  our  windows  and  watching 
the  baseball  games  from  there.  Once,  when  in 
the  room,  he  saw  my  watch  lying  on  the  table 
and  seemed  to  admire  it  very  much.  So  I  re- 
marked, "Louis,  you  have  my  name,  and  as  I 
am  quite  an  old  man,  it  is  probable  that  you 
will  live  longer  than  I.  After  my  death  I 
promise  that  you  shall  be  the  owner  of  this 
watch."  His  answer,  coming  from  a  five-year- 
old  child,  seemed  quite  wonderful.  "I  hope  I 
may  not  get  it  for  many  years  to  come."  Pro- 
fessor Rice  stopped  at  our  hotel  with  his  wife 
and  six  children.  He  often  invited  mother  and 
me  to  go  driving  with  him  in  a  stage  he  had 
hired  for  the  season.  We  accompanied  him 
occasionally,  but  Carrie  and  her  children  went 
with  them  almost  daily.  After  she  felt  sure 
that  mother  could  get  along  without  her,  Carrie 
returned  home  with  her  children.  The  chil- 
dren were  especially  benefitted  by  their  stay  in 
the  mountains. 

On  June  21st,  1899,  Charlotte  Stix  was  born. 
May  she  grow  up  to  be  a  lovely  girl,  a  help  to 
her  mother  and  a  pleasure  to  all  who  may  know 

377 


her.  We  were  fortunate  enough  to  see  much 
of  Charlotte  and  her  dear  parents  as  they  lived 
with  us  during  the  summer  that  Otto  was  in 
Europe,  and  kept  us  from  missing  him  as  much 
as  we  should,  had  we  been  alone.  At  this  time 
also  Zillah  and  her  family  moved  to  their  coun- 
try home  at  Far  Rockaway. 

During  the  summer  of  1899  while  we  were 
in  the  mountains,  Zillah,  her  husband  and 
Howard  spent  their  summer  in  making  a  lake 
trip  to  Alaska,  while  Joe  Jr.  was  in  Maine. 
Joe  Sr.  sent  his  son  Joe  a  small  sum  of  money 
for  Fourth-of-July  fireworks.  He  found  a 
more  useful  way  of  spending  it  by  sending  the 
money  to  the  colonel  of  a  New  York  regiment 
to  buy  delicacies  for  sick  soldiers.  The  colo- 
nel answered  him  by  a  fine  letter  and  had  an 
account  of  Joe's  self-sacrifice  published  as  a 
noble  example.  While  at  Yale  Joe  joined  a 
society  for  the  bettering  and  educating  of  the 
poor,  and  while  he  was  at  work  bathing  some 
children,  the  building  caught  fire.  He  man- 
aged, however,  to  rescue  all  the  children  al- 
though his  hair  was  burnt. 


378 


ABOUT  this  time,  in  collecting  for  the  Hos- 
pital Saturday  and  Sunday  Association, 
notwithstanding  the  hard  times,  my  friends 
and  patrons  contributed  in  their  usual  gener- 
ous manner,  although  other  collectors  failed 
to  come  up  to  their  usual  amounts.  Thus,  al- 
though I  had  surpassed  my  previous  record, 
because  of  the  falling  off  in  receipts  of  the 
other  collectors,  there  was  a  deficit,  and  Mr. 
Cornelius  Vanderbilt  remarked,  "We  want 
more  Mr.  Stixes."  "Not  at  all,"  I  replied,  "we 
want  more  V anderbilts,"  for  I  was  aware  that 
it  was  his  practice  to  make  up  any  deficiency 
in  his  church-collections  if  they  fell  short. 

For  years  I  considered  it  wrong  on  my  part 
not  to  hand  in  my  resignation  as  a  director  of 
the  Mount  Sinai  Hospital  and  of  the  Training 
School.  While  I  was  reluctant  to  do  this,  still 
I  did  not  feel  that  I  had  any  right  to  occupy 
these  positions  to  the  exclusion  of  a  younger 
and  more  useful  man.  I  could  not  help 
noticing  that  the  president  had  for  years  been 
careful  to  place  me  on  committees  where  my 
position  would  entail  but  little  work.    In  hand- 

379 


ing  in  my  resignation  I  had  so  worded  it  that 
the  Board  could  accept  it  without  hesitation, 
and  I  felt  sure  it  would  be  accepted.  However, 
not  hearing  from  the  Board  for  some  time,  I  be- 
came rather  annoyed.  Then  I  received  notice 
that  a  committee  had  been  appointed  to  wait  on 
me  at  my  office  at  any  time  convenient  to  my- 
self. Mr.  Wallach,  President  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  was  chairman,  and  the  other  two 
members  were  Mr.  David  Weil  and  Mr.  Max 
Nathan.  They  met  me  at  my  office,  and  after 
excusing  themselves  for  being  late,  they  told 
me  that  it  had  required  all  their  time  to  go  over 
the  English  and  American  statutes  to  find 
whether  there  was  any  law  requiring  them  to 
accept  my  resignation,  but  they  had  found  no 
law  to  that  effect;  and  further,  whether  I  at- 
tended their  meetings  or  not,  they  proposed  to 
keep  me  a  director  till  the  day  of  my  death. 
When  I  found  they  were  firm  in  their  resolve 
I  suggested  a  compromise.  In  the  first  place, 
I  was  to  be  allowed  to  resign  from  the  Training 
School  board,  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  night 
meetings ;  secondly  the  Board  was  to  accept  my 
resignation  as  a  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee, but  I  would  still  remain  a  director. 
They  agreed  to  this  and  I  was  forced  to  be 
content.    Adulation  had  weakened  the  old 

380 


man's  determination,  and  this  compliment  from 
one  of  the  most  influential  bodies  of  men  in 
New  York  had  changed  my  strongest  resolve. 
Still  I  was  fully  aware  that  my  capabilities 
were  not  such  as  to  entitle  me  to  such  honor 
and  consideration.  I  still  remained  interested 
in  the  hospital  collection.  When  first  started, 
the  Hospital  Saturday  and  Sunday  Association 
contained  twenty  institutions  and  the  yearly 
collections  amounted  to  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars.  To-day  there  are  forty  members  of 
the  association  and  they  collect  about  seventy 
thousand  dollars  annually. 


The  summer  of  1900  was  the  third  summer 
we  spent  at  the  Kaaterskill  Hotel.  Dear 
Frankie  accompanied  us,  and  she,  her  husband, 
Dorothy,  Ruth  and  their  nurse,  spent  part  of 
the  summer  with  us.  They  all  were  a  source 
of  great  pleasure  to  both  mother  and  me.  The 
children  were  the  best  known  and  most  popular 
children  in  the  hotel  and  general  favorites  with 
every  one.  To  please  grandma  was  their  great 
pleasure,  and  they  were  continually  striving  to 
do  that.  Ruth  often  came  to  my  rooms  for  ice, 
as  I  managed  with  a  little  care  to  keep  mv  ice 

381 


all  night.  So  as  not  to  leave  us  without  any 
one  of  our  children,  at  the  end  of  Mr.  Mann's 
vacation,  when  he  and  his  family  left,  Carrie 
and  her  three  youngest  children  came  up,  ac- 
companied by  a  very  obliging  nurse.  The  chil- 
dren with  their  good  mother  made  us  feel  as 
if  we  were  at  home.  Mr.  Weiss  and  William 
visited  us  for  a  short  time,  as  did  Otto,  Aaron 
and  Belle,  who  had  come  from  Canada  where 
they  had  spent  their  summer.  We  had  written 
Belle  and  Aaron  not  to  come  because  of  the 
tiresome  journey,  so  were  very  much  surprised 
to  see  them.  Our  pleasure  was  short-lived, 
for  the  mountain  air  proved  too  much  for  dear 
Belle.  She  complained  of  headaches,  dizziness 
and  loss  of  appetite,  and  had  to  leave  soon. 
Otto,  Aaron  and  Carrie  were  all  very  attentive, 
sending  us  a  case  of  champagne,  some  wine  and 
whiskey.  We  had  to  call  Dr.  Baruch,  our  phy- 
sician in  the  city,  to  come  up  to  the  mountains 
to  prescribe  for  mother.  He  gave  her  some 
medicine,  but  it  did  not  seem  to  help  her,  so 
he  said  a  change  of  climate  and  diet  was  essen- 
tial. We  decided  to  go  to  Far  Rockaway  and 
stop  with  Zillah.  We  returned  to  New  York 
on  the  22nd  of  August.  We  had  a  cool  and 
pleasant  trip  and  remained  in  New  York  for  a 
day  or  two,  the  weather  being  fairly  comfort- 

382 


able.  The  day  we  left  for  Far  Rockaway, 
however,  was  the  hottest  day  of  the  year.  Yet 
when  we  reached  the  trestle  on  the  way  to  our 
destination  we  felt  quite  uncomfortable  without 
our  coats.  At  Zillah's  mother  recuperated 
rapidly,  and  soon  was  herself  again.  All  of 
our  family  visited  us  frequently.  Rosa  and  her 
children  had  rooms  at  the  Edgemere  Hotel,  but 
the  greater  part  of  their  time  was  spent  with 
us.  Howard,  the  darling  boy,  was  most  atten- 
tive to  his  grandmother.  He  would  come  of 
his  own  accord  to  lace  grandma's  shoes,  and 
would  inquire  if  there  was  nothing  else  he  could 
do  for  her.  Y\ 'hen  she  moved  from  place  to 
place,  he  would  jump  up  and  follow  her  closely, 
with  her  footstool  and  shawl.  Joe  Jr.,  who 
had  just  returned  from  Yale,  hardly  had  time  to 
help  as  willingly  as  Howard,  but  nevertheless 
he  was  very  attentive.  He  was  busy  all  day 
with  his  friends,  but  was  a  good  boy,  respecting 
his  grandparents,  obedient  to  his  parents,  and 
much  sought  after  by  both  boys  and  girls.  He 
was  strong  and  full  of  fun.  Howard,  who  is 
up  to  all  tricks,  had  learned  some  time  before 
that  I  rewarded  any  one  of  the  grandchildren 
who  ate  apple  sauce.  I  did  this,  because  dear 
mother,  who  is  very  fond  of  it,  and  who  eats 
it  quite  frequently,  always  wished  me  to  do  the 

383 


same.  I  got  very  tired  of  it,  and  overcame  the 
difficulty  by  paying  fifty  cents  to  any  of  my 
grandchildren  who  happened  to  be  present 
when  apple  sauce  was  served,  and  would  par- 
take of  it  in  my  stead.  Howard  got  the  cook  to 
prepare  some,  and  had  it  served  daily.  Then 
he  claimed  the  money  due  him  for  eating  it  at 
the  rate  of  fifty  cents  a  day.  This  money  he 
gave  to  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cru- 
elty to  Animals,  to  help  erect  a  watering-trough 
for  animals.  At  a  meeting  of  the  society  every 
one  handed  in  his  subscription,  and  when  it  was 
seen  that  Howard's  was  much  larger  than  that 
of  any  of  his  comrades,  who  had  made  theirs 
by  selling  things  on  the  streets,  he  was  ques- 
tioned as  to  whether  his  parents  were  aware 
that  he  was  giving  so  much  money  to  the  so- 
ciety. He  replied  that  the  money  was  his,  and 
he  was  entitled  to  use  it  in  any  way  he  wished. 
The  Far  Rockaway  paper  published  an  article 
praising  his  generosity,  which  article  you  will 
find  among  my  letters.  I  also  have  some  letters 
written  by  him  which  I  considered  worth  keep- 
ing. In  one  of  his  letters  he  asks  his  father 
for  some  of  his  own  money,  telling  him  for  what 
purposes  he  wished  to  use  it,  except  a  certain 
sum,  with  which  he  intended  to  buy  his  father 
a  birthday  present.    He  wrote  a  beautiful  let- 

384 


ter  from  Cincinnati  to  his  mother  in  St.  Louis, 
and  at  six  years  of  age  he  wrote  a  German 
letter  to  his  grandmother.  He  is  a  good  bright 
boy,  always  standing  well  in  school,  and  obedi- 
ent and  ready  to  help  any  one.  W e  have  many 
other  letters  from  our  different  grandchildren, 
the  Manns,  the  Weisses,  Robert's  and  Aaron's 
children. 

The  anniversary  of  my  eightieth  birthday 
we  decided  not  to  celebrate  in  the  usual  man- 
ner, as  dear  mother  was  too  nervous.  We 
promised  to  make  up  for  this  in  celebrating 
our  approaching  golden  wedding.  At  this 
time  we  met  our  new  grandchild  Walter  and 
his  mother,  who  was  born  in  the  same  house  as 
my  wife.  He  took  supper  with  us,  and  at  this 
meal  met  all  our  New  York  children.  My  wife 
was  taken  ill  after  supper,  and  we  immediately 
summoned  a  doctor.  He  gave  her  some  medi- 
cine and  she  was  much  improved  by  morning. 


385 


ON  Saturday,  the  9th  of  March,  1901,  we 
were  overjoyed  to  see  all  our  dear  ones 
from  the  West  who  had  come  East  to  celebrate 
with  us  our  golden  wedding.  These  had  all 
come  two  days  in  advance,  that  they  might  wit- 
ness the  presentation  to  me  of  a  loving-cup  by 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  hospital.  Joe 
Cullman,  a  member  of  the  board,  had  told 
them  that  this  was  to  occur  on  Saturday  after- 
noon. As  I  had  received  an  inkling  that  my 
colleagues  intended  to  assemble  in  my  house  to 
congratulate  me,  I  had  written  down  some  few 
words  to  answer  them.  But  as  they  all  came 
in  a  body,  and  every  one  of  the  family  was 
present,  except  sister  Hannah,  who  could  not 
be  reached  in  time,  you  may  well  believe  that 
words  failed  me  to  enable  me  to  reply  to  the 
elaborate  presentation  speech  made  by  Presi- 
dent Wallach  in  presenting  a  most  beautiful 
golden  loving-cup  to  me.  No  directors  were 
absent,  except  those  few  who  were  out  of  the 
city.  I  shall  never  forget  the  day,  nor  will 
my  dear  ones.  The  presentation  of  the  cup  as 
a  token  of  the  esteem  of  the  board  was  a  great 

386 


compliment;  and  the  speech  of  Mr.  Wallach, 
so  affectionately  expressing  the  good-will  of 
all  his  colleagues,  so  overcame  me,  that,  al- 
though prepared  for  the  occasion,  I  broke 
down,  and  was  unable  to  answer  suitably.  I 
am  sure  you  will  excuse  the  writer's  having 
dwelt  at  such  length  on  this  subject,  but  I  felt 
the  honor  very  deeply.  On  one  side  of  the  cup 
was  the  inscription,  "Honor  is  the  reward  of 
virtue,"  while  on  the  opposite  side  was  en- 
graved, "Mr.  and  Mrs.  Louis  Stix  on  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  wedding,  from  the 
directors  of  the  Mount  Sinai  Hospital.  March 
nth  1 901."  After  the  presentation  we  filled 
the  cup  with  champagne  and  had  a  light  lunch. 
As  I  have  already  said,  this  event  made  a  last- 
ing impression  on  me. 

The  following  Monday  was  our  golden  wed- 
ding day.  The  house  was  taxed  for  room  to 
accommodate  even  the  flowers  sent  us  on  this 
happy  occasion.  A  veritable  flower-garden 
was  the  offering  of  my  old  friend  Jacob  F.  Cull- 
man, who  had  been  compelled  to  go  to  Europe 
for  his  health  from  whence,  sad  to  say,  he  never 
returned  alive.  At  first  we  objected  to  receiv- 
ing any  presents,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to 
return  some,  but  we  soon  found  out  that  we 
could  not  hope  to  return  all  of  the  flood  of 

387 


gifts  which  came,  so  we  decided  to  keep  them. 
One  of  the  presents  was  a  silver  loving  cup, 
with  the  inscription,  "1851  L.  S.  Y.  S.  1901," 
presented  to  us  by  our  old  friend  Mr.  August 
Richard.  Our  children  made  up  a  purse  of 
three  thousand  dollars  and  presented  it  to  the 
convalescent  fund  of  the  Mount  Sinai  Hospital, 
my  particular  hobby,  of  which  I  was  considered 
the  founder.  Formerly  when  money  had  been 
needed  for  this  purpose  the  directors  only  had 
subscribed. 

We  at  first  expected  to  celebrate  our  golden 
wedding  festivities  at  our  own  home,  but  we 
soon  found  that  we  could  not  possibly  accom- 
modate the  number  of  guests  we  had  invited. 
So  we  engaged  a  room  at  Delmonico's  for  about 
sixty-five  guests  for  dinner,  and  we  had  about 
the  same  number  after  dinner  at  a  reception. 
We  would  gladly  have  invited  many  others,  but 
we  did  not  wish  any  more  gifts.  The  greater 
number  of  the  directors  of  the  hospital,  accom- 
panied by  their  wives,  attended  the  reception. 
As  far  as  I  could  judge,  the  occasion  was  one 
of  unalloyed  pleasure  for  all,  and  I  feel  very 
much  gratified  that  it  turned  out  so  well. 

I  owe  my  thanks  to  my  son  Otto  and  to  Joe 
Cullman  for  having  attended  to  the  details  of 
the  arrangements,  and  for  the  perfect  smooth- 

388 


ness  with  which  everything  progressed.  The 
music  was  very  good,  the  food  excellent,  and 
the  dancing  most  pleasing.  There  was  a 
beautiful  family  circle  made  by  all  the  children 
and  grandchildren  after  supper,  which  pleased 
every  one.  All  my  friends  helped  to  make 
the  supper  a  great  love-feast,  and  although 
ever  so  willing,  I  fear  I  could  never  do 
justice  to  the  occasion.  Now  that  this  long- 
looked  for  and  joyous  event  has  passed,  we 
shall  look  forward  to  our  diamond  wedding 
with  the  same  pleasure. 

At  the  yearly  meeting  in  1901,  members  of 
the  board  of  directors  voted  to  allow  me  to 
resign  my  membership  as  active  director  of 
the  Mount  Sinai  Hospital,  and  after  my  resig- 
nation they  immediately  elected  me  honorary 
member  for  life,  so  that  I  might  not  sever  my 
connection  with  the  institution.  For  this  I 
was  very  thankful  to  the  board,  and  especially 
to  Mr.  Wallach,  who  informed  me  of  this 
change  in  a  very  complimentary  letter. 


One  day  my  wife  was  putting  away  some 
clothes  in  her  store-room.  Owing  to  the  dark- 
ness of  the  room  she  made  use  of  a  lighted 

389 


candle,  which  accidentally  overturned  and  set 
fire  to  some  garments.  My  wife  was  fortunate 
enough  to  escape  any  injury,  but  the  fire  in- 
surance company  met  its  first  loss  at  our  hands 
after  sixty-one  years  of  insuring. 

After  this  we  went  to  Lakewood  with  Flor- 
ence Iglauer.  We  found  her  most  lovely  and 
attentive,  and  she  made  a  perfect  nurse  for  dear 
mother. 

In  the  summer  of  1901  my  wife  did  not  feel 
well,  so  Zillah  insisted  on  our  spending  the 
summer  with  her  at  Far  Rockaway.  Zillah's 
care  and  attention,  and  all  Howard's  considera- 
tion, helped  to  make  our  stay  very  pleasant. 
We  regretted  the  absence  of  Joe  Cullman  who 
had  gone  to  Europe,  to  be  with  his  brother 
Jacob,  who  was  very  sick.  Few  brothers  ever 
showed  a  truer  and  more  affectionate  attach- 
ment for  each  other  than  these  two.  Mr. 
Jacob  Cullman's  untimely  death  left  sorrow  in 
its  train.  We  knew  him  as  a  devoted  son,  hus- 
band, father  and  brother.  We  returned  at  the 
end  of  the  summer  much  improved  in  health, 
especially  my  wife,  so  that  we  felt  able  to  under- 
take a  journey  to  Cincinnati  which  we  had  been 
contemplating  for  a  long  time,  and  where  we 
were  the  guests  of  my  son  Aaron  and  his  wife, 
Belle.    The  main  object  of  this  trip  was  to  al- 

390 


low  us  to  be  present  at  the  wedding  of  our 
grandchild  Zillah  to  Mr.  Walter  Friedlander. 
Although  we  did  not  know  Walter  himself  very 
well,  we  were  well  acquainted  with  his  family, 
my  wife  having  been  a  life-long  friend  of  his 
mother.  I  myself  knew  his  father  as  a  model 
man,  and  can  hope  nothing  better  for  Walter, 
than  that  he  may  follow  in  his  father's  foot- 
steps. We  were  most  delighted  to  see  all  our 
dear  ones  in  Cincinnati,  and  shall  never  forget 
the  right  royal  way  in  which  we  were  treated. 
We  were  feasted  daily  by  some  member  of  the 
family  including  Sophie  Wyler,  and  my  old 
"Schatz,"  Setty.  These  absences  from  Belle's 
did  not  much  profit  her,  because  when  we  were 
at  home,  any  number  of  the  family  would  join 
us  at  our  meals.  On  her  birthday  anniver- 
sary, even  at  breakfast,  she  was  called  upon  to 
rearrange  the  table  not  less  than  five  times,  and 
so  it  was  at  all  the  meals  that  day.  We  ad- 
mired our  bed  quilts  very  much.  Belle,  to 
show  her  Spanish  blood,  sent  them  to  us,  which 
pleased  us  immensely.  Knowing  my  dislike 
for  walking,  they  had  considerately  arranged  to 
have  a  carriage  at  our  disposal  during  the 
whole  of  our  stay  there.  Dear  Belle  was  a 
lovely  and  perfect  hostess,  if  under  her  loving 
care  one  could  escape  the  gout.    Her  chil- 

39i 


dren  were  a  source  of  constant  pleasure  to  us. 
We  agreed  to  pay  them  the  traditional  fifty 
cents  for  every  plate  of  apple  sauce  they  ate, 
and  they  seemed  well  pleased  with  the  scheme. 
These  children  were  certainly  better  than  mine. 
It  was  a  great  joy  to  mother  and  me  to  think 
we  had  been  spared  to  see  the  wedding  of 
our  dear  granddaughter  Zillah.  She  was  so 
happy  at  the  time  of  her  wedding  that  it  seems 
to  me,  all  we  can  do,  is  to  wish  that  she  may 
never  have  less  joy  than  she  had  at  that  time. 
I  was  particularly  pleased  and  affected  when 
dear  Zillah,  on  approaching  the  altar,  and 
catching  sight  of  me,  stopped  and  gave  her  old 
grandpa  a  hearty  kiss. 

Again  did  we  deem  ourselves  fortunate  when 
after  our  return  from  Cincinnati,  no  perma- 
nent harm  came  to  Joe,  Zillah,  Carrie  or  Sam, 
who  had  been  visiting  Joe  Jr.  at  his  dormitory 
at  Yale  University  when  a  fire  broke  out  there. 


A  peculiar  conceit  as  to  events  occurs  to  me : 
I  was  born  in  1821. 
Emigrated  to  America  in  1841. 
I  was  married  in  1851. 

392 


Celebrated  our  golden  wedding  anniversary 
in  1901. 

Our  daughter  Rosa  celebrated  her  silver 
wedding  anniversary  in  1901. 

Her  daughter  Zillah  was  married  in  1901. 


393 


Where  there  has  been  so  much  to  tell,  and 
so  many  to  speak  of,  omissions  of  incidents  and 
persons  may  have  occurred,  but  it  has  always 
been  unintentional. 


1902  Birthday  Louis  Stix. 


THE  END. 


This  summer  of  1902,  in  which  grandpa 
resumed  his  pen  only  to  note  lovingly  the  birth 
of  his  namesake,  found  him  and  grandma 
staying  at  the  Fort  Washington  home  of  their 
daughter  Carrie,  There,  on  the  night  of  July 
25th,  while  he  was  seated  peacefully  in  his  own 
favorite  arm-chair,  came  the  end. 

He  was  followed  by  grandma,  on  August 
1 6th,  1905,  while  she  was  visiting  at  the  sum- 
mer home  of  her  daughter  Zillah  at  Far 
Rockaway. 


Illustrations 
& 

Index 


Illustrations 

Photogravure  of  Author 

.  .  .  Frontispiece 

Sylvan  L.  Stix  

2nd  Frontispiece 

My  father  and  mother 

Facing  page  8 

The  Demmelsdorf  home 

"18 

My  wife's  parents 

*  143 

Key  to  Demmelsdorf 

home  and  view  of 

same 

"  162 

Our  14th  Street  home 

"  204 

Our  71st  Street  home 

"  206 

Earning  the  traditional 

fifty  cents 

"  392 

My  wife  and  grandson 

Louis  Stix 

"  394 

Index 

Adler,  Mrs.,  (a  reminder)  322 
Aub,  Mr.,  (a  friendly  referee)  53 

Backer,  A.,  (a  faithless  friend)  324 
Bake,  Eliza,  64 

Barby,  Henry,  (business  friend,  part- 
ner of  Richard,  Iselin  &  Co.)  266 

Baruch,  Dr.  Simon,  382 

Beard,  John, (land-owner)  43,  238 

Butterfield,  Fred,  (business  friend) 
258 

Byrd,  George,  (business  friend)  300 

Clapsadle,  Mr.,  (real  estate  transac- 
tion) 239 

Clarke,  Mr.,  (Secretary  of  American 
Exchange  National  Bank)  169 

Clay,  Henry,  (a  political  figure)  44,61 

Coe,  Mr.,  (President  of  American 
Exchange  National  Bank)  169 

Cohen,  Aaron, (maternal  grandfather) 
2,  3 

Cohen,  Conendal,  n£e  Moses,  (mater- 
nal grandmother)  2,  3 

Cohen,  Henry,  (uncle)  2 

Cohen,  Moses,  (maternal  great-grand- 
father) 1 

Cohen,  Moses,  (cousin)  2 

Conklin,  Richard  R.,  (temporary 
partner)  73 

Corwin,  Mr.,  (attorney)  154 

Corwin,  John,  (state  attorney  of  Ohio) 
48 

Corwin,  Hon.  Thomas,  (one-time 
Governor  of  Ohio)  48,  62,  154 


Cullman,  Joseph  F.,Sr.,  (son-in-law) 

3I3»  3i6,  339..  342,  355,  378,  386, 

388,  390,  392 
Cullman,  Joseph  F.,  Jr.,  (grandson) 

321,  337,  342,  356,  361,  378,  383, 

392 

Cullman,    Howard    S.,  (grandson) 
_  ,337,342,356,  378,383,390 
Cullman,  Jacob  F.,  (friend)  367,  387, 
390 

Cunningham.  Mrs.,  (boarding  house 
keeper)  57 

Daly,  Hon.  Joseph  F.,  Justice,  (ac- 
quaintance) 302 

Davis,  Mrs.  Jefferson,  (a  purchase) 
215 

Devoe,  Wm.  P.,  (business  friend)  199 
Dodd,  Mary,  (acquaintance)  41 
Dodd,  Squire,  56 

Einstein,  George,  (friend)  306 
Ellis,  John  YV\,  (business  friend)  114 
Elsas,  Jacob,  (married  fiancee  of  de- 
ceased brother  Charles)  24 

Fechheimer,  Miss,  (fiancee  of  de- 
ceased brother  Charles)  24 

Fechheimer,  Marcus,  (a  friendly 
referee)  53 

Feminine  friends,  57,  64 

Friedlander,  Walter,  (grandchild  by 
marriage)  385;  marriage  of,  391 

Friedlander,  Mrs.,  (mother  of  Wal- 
ter) 385,  391 

Friedlander,  Mr.,  (father  of  Walter) 
391 

Galland,  Estate  of,  158 
Gerster,  Dr.  Arpad  G.,  314,  324,  336, 
338 

Glasser,  Mr.,  (business  acquaintance) 
191 

Grant,  Gen.  Ulysses,  (my  physical 
resemblance  to)  269 

Grifnt,  Babette,  and  sister,  (benefac- 
tors) 29 

Gundersheimer,  Isaac,  (husband  of 
my  wife's  sister  Louisa)  348 

Gundersheimer,  Louisa,  n£e  Hackes, 
(my  wife's  sister)  187,  348 

Gunther,  Mayor  of  New  York  City,  162 

Hackes,  Zidone,  (my  wife's  mother) 
143,  182,  194;  death  of,  208 


Hackes,  Simon,  (brother-in-law)  183 
Hackes  (Sidney)  and  Springer,  (fail- 
ure of)  327 
Hazelhurst,  Mr.,  (merchant)  100 
Herman,  A.  S.,  (brother-in-law)  119, 

120,  168,  271 
Herman,  Moses,  (boyhood  friend)  16, 
26,  29 

Hill,  Mr.,  (partner  of  Wm.  Lattimer) 
261 

Hogan,  Mr.,  (business  rival)  55,  56 
Hoguet,  Mr.,  (business  friend)  303 
Holmes,  Mr.,  (conspirator)  55 

Iglauer,  Carl,  (son-in-law)  307,  341, 

343.  35L37I 
Iglauer,   Florence,  (grand-daughter) 

341,  343.  35'.  353.  363.  376,  383, 
390 

Iglauer,  Zillah,  (grand-daughter)  310, 
343.  35L  353.  363.  375.  383.  39i, 
393 

Iselin,  Adrian,  (business  friend  and 
benefactor)  167,  258 

Johns,  Mr.,  (merchant)  36 
Jones,  John,  (clerk)  148 
Jacobi,  Dr.  Abraham,  314 

Kebler,  John,  (friend  and  attorney) 
91,  96, 166,  283,  284 

Kornblieth,  Mr.,  (merchant)  34 

Krouse,  Jacob,  (friend)  109 

Krouse,  William,  (gratuity  for  friend- 
ly service)  272 

Kuhn,  Mrs.  Simon,  (Setty  Swarts, 
niece  and  "Schatz")  352,  391 

Kumler,  Elias,  (friend)  66 

Kupfer,  Henry,  (friend)  244 

Lattimer,  Wm.,  (business  friend  and 

benefactor)  126,  258 
Lincoln,  Abraham,  (an  inspiration) 

174 

Livingston,  Dr.,  312,  314 
Lowman,  James,  (friend)  197 

Mack,  Abraham,  (friend)  32,  38,  49 
Mack,  Henry,  (lifelong  friend)  13,  32, 
38 

Mack,   Martin,  (brother-in-law  of 

Henry  Mack)  57 
Mahan,  Mr.,  (hotel  proprietor)  56 
Mann,  Aaron,  (boyhood  friend)  318 


Mann,   Dorothy  Gudrune  Stix, 

(grand-daughter)  79,  320,  364, 
381,385 

Mann,  Jonas  F.,  (husband  of  daugh- 
ter Frances)  318,  381 

Mann,  Ruth  Zidone  Stix,  (grand- 
daughter) 364,  381,385 

Marsh,  Charles,  of  Jordan,  Marsh  & 
Co.,  (business  friend)  223,  225 

Menken  Bros.,  (friends)  163;  oil  spec- 
ulation, 274 

Menken,  Jacob  S.,  (friend)  157,  159, 
163,  306 

Menken,  Captain  Nathan,  (friend) 
153 

Menken,  Mrs.  Nathan,  (friend)  153 

Michaels,  Ray  Stix,  (daughter  of 
brother  Aaron,  deceased)  252 

Michaels,  Elias,  (husband  of  Ray 
Stix)  252,  343 

Montgomery,  Miss,  (acquaintance)  40 

Moses,  Michael,  (maternal  great- 
grandfather) 1 

Musgrove,  Dr.,  (friend  and  benefac- 
tor) 45,  48,  332 

McAlpine,  George,  (merchant)  190 

Noyes,  General,  (acquaintance)  282 

O'Shaunessey,  Mrs.  T.,  (one-time 
creditor)  202 

Peabody,  Mr.,  (merchant)  114 
Pendleton,  Mr.,  (merchant)  190 
Pendleton,  Mrs.,  (solicitor  of  charity) 
189 

Powler,  Mr.,  (merchant)  199 

Rader,  Mr.,  (neighbor)  210 
Ransehof,  Dr.,  317 

Reus,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seligman,  (par- 
ents of  Henry  Rice)  344 

Rice,  Mrs.  Jonathan,  (Aurelia  Stix, 
niece)  and  children,  345 

Rice,  Henry,  (friend)  233,  261,  268, 
306,  316,  318 

Rice,  Mrs.  Henry,  (niece  by  mar- 
riage) 316 

Rice,  Prof.  I.  L.,  (acquaintance)  377 

Rice,  Hannah,  (married  to  brother 
Aaron)  233,  236,  252,  374,  386 

Richard,  August,  (business  friend) 
258,  265,  267,  388 

Rowl,  Dr.  and  Mrs.,  (friends)  65 


Sands,  Prof.,  (physician)  314 

Sewart,  Martha,  57 

Simons,  (benefactor)  28 

Snelbaker,  Squire,  58 

Solomon,  Kosnman,  (paternal  grand- 
father) 1;  his  wife,  (paternal 
grandmother)  1 

Springer,  Mr.,  (nephew  by  marriage) 
failure  of,  327 

Springer,  Ida  Hackes,  (niece  by  mar- 
riage) illness  of,  328 

Stadler,  Martin,  (friend)  35,  51,  52,53, 
57.  93 

Stadler,  Max,  (friend)  16,  26,  29,  35, 

51,  52,  53,  57 
Stadler,  Mrs,,  (mother  of  Martin  and 

Max)  53 

Stallo,  judge,  (friend  and  attorney ) 

191,284 
Stallo,  Mrs.,  191,  284 
Stewart,  A.  T,  &  Co.,  (merchants  )  133, 

263 

Stewart,  the  Misses,  (customers )  51 
Stix,  Aaron,  (brother,  233,  245;  death 
of,  250 

Stix,  Aaron, (son  and  wife  Belle)  340, 
341,  342,  35L  376,  382,  3QO 

Stix,  Aurelia,  (sister;  death  of,  23 

Stix,  Addie,  (grand-daughter)  363 

Stix,  Carrie,  (daughter)  253,  309,  315, 
318,  321,  335.  339,  340,  34i.  354, 
356,  357.  37i.  376,  382,  392,  395 

Stix,  Charlotte,  (grand-daughter )  3*7 

Stix,  Charles  L.,  (son  and  wife  Fred- 
die) 254,  315,  340,  341 

Stix,  Charles  A.,  (son  of  brother 
Aaron,  deceased)  253 

Stix,  Charles,  (brother;  15,  23,  25,  27, 
29,  35,  49.  51.  52 

Stix,  Deoorah  Cohen,  (mother)  1,  2, 
6,  9,  14,  18,  19,  21,  23,  25,  53,  85, 
233,  246,  320,  354 

Stix,  Edgar,  (grandson)  362,  385 

Stix,  family  name  of,  5 

Stix,  Frances,  (daughter)  253,  256, 
257,  309,  316,  3^8,  339,  340,  341, 
343.  357,  381 

Stix,  Hans,  (grandson)  343,  351,  363, 
385.  391  ' 

Stix,  Henry,  (brother)  27,  29,  52,  59, 
67,  174,  250,  305,  309,  345-  352,  374 

Stix,  Mrs.  Henry,  (Pauline  Turnauer 
— first  wife)  345 


Stix,  Henry  S.,  (son  of  brother  Hen- 
ry's first  wife  by  a  previous  mar- 
riage.. 345 
Stix,  Herman,  (brother)  death  of,  23 
Stix,  Joseph  L.,    son^  13",  172,  340, 
342,  351 

Stix,  Louis,  preface;  ancestors,  1; 
tributes  to  parents, 9,  170;  school 
days,  1 1 ;  apprenticeship  days,  17, 
24;  philosophy  in  life,  21,  148,  173, 
246,  2S0,  354;  post-mortem  in- 
junctions, 24:;  flight  from  Germ- 
any, 20;  key  of  the  homestead, 
343;  arrival  in  New  York  City  and 
journey  west,  32;  hrst  partner- 
ship, 35;  life  of  a  pioneer  pedler 
ano  prices  in  the  time  of  1S41,  35, 
50;  hrst  Cincinnati  partnership 
and  its  dissolution,  51,  52;  Mason, 
Ohio,  store  ana  experiences,  54; 
Billingsville.  Indiana,  store,  ex- 
periences and  Mexican  war  years, 
68;  business  enterprises,  includ- 
ing auctioneering,  8  J ;  disastrous 
partnership  with  Victor  Waiiach 
and  other  experiences,  89,  95, 
197,  350;  courtship  and  marriage, 
107;  business  experiences  and  the 
Jewish  question,  103,  113,  137,143, 
152,  165,  185,  193,  213,  258;  home 
in  Race  Street,  Cincinnati,  143; 
a  one-track  mind,  151;  The  Men- 
ken Association,  153,  159;  social 
experiences,  132,  164,  172,  174; 
Civil  War  days  in  the  United 
States,  prices  and  losses,  175,  :6„; 
distorted  sense  of  humor,  184, 
271;  sense  of  personal  rights,  187; 
charity,  27S,  286;  move  to  New 
York  City,  192,  104;  Utk  Street 
heme,  203,  208;  71st  Street  home, 
206,  212;  reminders  of  early  days 
and  how  I  disappointed  a  one- 
time admirer,  231,  331;  real  estate 
transections,  258,  28";  specula- 
tions, 274,  2-5;  questionable  cour- 
age, 291;  Mount  Sinai  Hospital, 
fairs,  and  the  Hospital  Saturday 
and  Sunday  Association,  104,  294, 
36S,  3-9,  389;  silver  wedding  an- 
niversary, 103,  305:  summers  and 
solidarity,  309,  318,  342.  35c,  352, 
370,  374,  381;  trip  to  Cincinnati, 


3go;  bank  runs  and  bank  accur- 
acy, 310,  329;  illness,  312,  321; 
pleased  with  my  own  business 
perspicacity,  333;  birthday  anni- 
versaries, 341,  385;  reminiscences, 
350;  civic  service,  365;  my  four 
daughters  and  descendants  gen- 
erally, 357;  golden  wedding  an- 
niversary, 386;   a  chronological 
table,  392;  death  of,  395 
Stix,  Lawrence,  (grandson)  362,  385 
Stix,  Louis,  (grandson)  birth  of,  394 
Stix,  Mae,  (grand-daughter)  363 
Stix,  Nathan,  (brother  and  family) 

333.  349.  352,  374 
Stix,  Otto  L.,  (son)  182,  340,  375,  376, 

378,382,388 
Stix,  Robert  L.,  (son  and  wife  Lena) 

170,  340,  341 
Stix,  Rosa,  (daughter)  303,  307,  310, 
316,  340,  341,  343.  35L  353.  357. 
371,375.383,  393 
Stix,  Sarah,  (sister)  death  of,  23 
Stix,  Solomon,  (father)  1,  4,  6,  9,  15, 
16,  18,  20,  23,  24,  27,  52,  57,  84, 
135,  170,  201,  233,  235,  243,  354 
Stix,  Sylvan  L.,  (son)  255,  309,  318, 

340,  373,  378 
Stix,  Mrs.  Sylvan  L.,  373,  378 
Stix,  Thomas  L.,  (grandson)  371,  385, 
391 

Stix,  Wm.,  (brother)  20,  237,  244,  251, 
306,  315,374 

Stix,  Mrs.  Wm.,  237,  374 

Stix,  Yette,  (wife  n6e  Hackes)  pref- 
ace; courtship  of,  and  marriage, 
107;  courage  of,  292,  335;  silver 
wedding  anniversary,  305;  acci- 
dent to,  337,  389;  golden  wedding 
anniversary,  386;  death  of,  395 

Stix,  Zillah,  (daughter)  253,  313,  316, 
32i,  336,  338,  340,  341,  342,  355, 
357,  378,  382,  390,  392,  395 

Stix,  Krouse  &  Co.,  (faithful  friends) 
93,  250 

Stix  Bros.,  Herman  &  Co.,  323,  324 
Storer,   Judge,   ("Storer's  Home 

Guard")  176 
Strauss,   Mrs.    Sophie,   (mother  of 

daughter-in-law  Belle  Stix)  352 
Strong,   Mayor  of  New  York  City, 

(business  friend)  365,  370 
Sulsbacher,  Madeline,  (wife  of  Henry 

Cohen,  uncle)  2 


Swarts,  J.  L.,  (husband  of  sister  Caro- 
line) 94,  114,  129,  137,  146,  192; 
death  of  and  eulogy  on,  280 

Swarts,  Mrs.  J.  L-,  (sister  Caroline) 
201,  238,  243,  352,  374 

Thompson,  Miss  Polly,  ("Aunt  Pol- 
ly") 58 

Trauenstein  &  Co.,  (faithful  friends) 
93 

Ullman,  James,  (gambler)  96 

Vanderbilt,  Cornelius,  (associate  in 
charities)  379 

Waat,  Mr.,  (of  Waat,  Dunham  & 
Graham — benefactor)  168 

Wald,  Meyer,  (friend  and  benefac- 
tor) 32 

Wallach,  Victor,  (business  partner) 
89,  197 

Wallach,  Willie,  (brother  of  business 

partner)  95 
Wall  &  Leaman,  (merchants)  115 
Walter,  J.  D.  &  Co.,  (one-time  credi- 
tor) 199 

Weaver  &  Bros.,  (hostile  mercantile 

house)  44,  46 
Weiss,    Samuel   W.,    (husband  of 

daughter  Carrie)   290,  3  [9,  321, 

339,  352,  356,  368,  371.  376,  382, 

392 

Weiss,  Wm.  Stix,  (grandson)  320, 
336,  339,  36i,  382,  385 

Weiss,  Nina  H.,  (grand-daughter) 
336,  339,  362,  382,  385 

Weiss,  Louis  Stix,  (grandson)  339, 
363,371,376,  377,382,385 

Weiss,  Carol,  (grand-daughter)  339, 
354,  37i,  376,  382,  385 

Wessel,  Captain,  (of  the  ship  which 
accomplished  my  expatriation)  31 

Whitehouse,  Mr.,  (business  acquain- 
tance and  purchaser  of  my  gift 
carriage  horses)  274 

Williams,  Mr.,  (self-invited  compan- 
ion in  jeopardy)  39 

Winter,  Mrs.,  (tenant)  289 

Wise,  Mrs.  Eva,  (Wise  estate)  158 

Wise,  Rev.  Isaac  M.,  151,  251 

Wyler,  Sophie,  (niece)  352,  391 


Descendants 
of 
Louis 
Stix 


THE  DESCENDANTS  OF  LOUIS  STIX 


January  1,  1962 

Louis  Stix  (1821-1901)  was  the  father  of  ten  chil- 
dren. They  with  their  descendants  now  numbering  close 
to  two  hundred  individuals,  are  listed  as  follows  with 
the  names  of  their  spouses.  However,  marriages  without 
issue  that  terminated  in  divorce  are  not  included. 


KEY 

I,  II,  etc.     Children  of  Louis  and  Yette  Hackes  Stix 

1,  2,  etc.  Grandchildren 

A,  B,  etc.  Great-grandchildren 

a,  b,  etc.      Great-great  grandchildren 

i,  ii,  etc.      Great-great-great  grandchildren 


I.  Joseph  L.  Stix  (1852-1934) 

,11.  Charles  Stix  (1854-1912) 
m.  Frederica  Bieber 

1.  Addie  Stix  (1878-1937) 
m.  Paul  Oppenheimer 

A.  Margaret  Oppenheimer  (1904-1905) 

B.  Jane  Oppenheimer  b.  1905 
m.  Samuel  Kootz 

2.  May  Stix  b.  1882 
m.  Benjamin  Phillips 

A.  Ethel  Phillips  b.  1906 
m.  Paul  Whitehead 

a.  Charles  P.  Whitehead  b.  1929 
m.  Mary  Lamb 

i.  Donald  Whitehead  b.  1956 
ii.  Michael  Whitehead  b.  1959 

B.  Carol  Phillips  b.  1911 
m.  Stephen  P.  Parke 

a.  Jill  Phillips  Parke  b.  1946 

b.  Barbara  Mary  Parke  b.  1950 


III.  Rosa  Stix  (1856-1914) 
m.  Carl  Iglauer 

1.  Zillah  Iglauer  (1877-1956) 
m.  Walter  J.  Friedlander 

A.  John  Walter  Friedlander  b.  1902 
m.  Gladys  Fleischman 

a.  Joan  Friedlander  b.  1928 
m.  Robert  Steiner 

i.  Therese  Steiner  b.  1951 

ii.  Carl  Steiner  b.  1953 
m.  Lucien  Walsin 

b.  Walter  John  Friedlander  b.  1931 
m.  Maria  Cooper 

i.  Catherine  Friedlander  b.  1957 

ii.  John  Walter  Friedlander  2nd  b.  1958 
m.  Mary  Kennedy 

c.  Judith  Friedlander  b.  1941 

d.  Mary  Ann  Friedlander  b.  1946 

B.  Carl  Iglauer  Friedlander  b.  1907 
m.  Louise  Oppenheimer 

C.  Mary  Friedlander  b.  1910 
m.  James  S.  Plaut 

a.  Susan  Plaut  b.  1935 
m.  John  M.  Reed 

i.  Leslie  Reed  b.  1958 

ii.  Jennifer  Reed  b.  1960 

iii.  Adam  Lord  Reed  b.  1961 

b.  Thomas  Plaut  b.  1937 

2.  Florence  Iglauer  b.  1881 
m.  Jesse  Wyler 

A.  Katherine  Wyler  b.  1909 
m.  Alan  Stroock 

a.  Robert  Stroock  b.  1934 

b.  Mariana  Stroock  b.  1937 
m.  Lawrence  Leighton 

c.  Daniel  Stroock  b.  1940 

B.  Carl  Iglauer  Wyler  b.  1913 
m.  Marjory  Straus 

a.  John  Wyler  b.  1938 
m.  Joan  Godfried 

b.  William  Wyler  b.  1946 


IV.  Robert  Louis  Stix  (1857-1915) 
m.  Lena  Cullman 

1.  Lawrence  Stix  (1886-1957) 
m.  Babette  Oppenheimer 

A.  Lawrence  Stix  Jr.  b.  1915 
m.  Muriel  Marks 

a.  Louise  Arnold  Stix  b.  1946 

b.  Jennifer  Ann  Stix  b.  1958 

B.  Edgar  R.  Stix  2nd  b.  1920 
m.  Carol  Hoffman 

a.  Allen  Howard  Stix  b.  1945 

b.  Wayne  Phillip  Stix  b.  1948 

c.  Roger  Bruce  Stix  b.  1952 

d.  Gail  Virginia  Stix  b.  1954 

2.  Edgar  Robert  Stix  b.  1891 
m.  Ruth  Fink 

A.  Robert  Louis  Stix  b.  1916 
m.  Patricia  Castle 

a.  Gary  Castle  Stix  b.  1953 

b.  Christopher  Terry  Stix  b.  1955 

c.  Mary  Eleanor  Stix  b.  1957 

B.  Donald  Stix  b.  1920 
m.  Gloria  Stewart 

a.  Nancy  Jane  Stix  b.  1951 

b.  John  Louis  Stix  b.  1953 

c.  Diane  Elizabeth  Stix  b.  1959 


Zillah  Stix  (1859-1935) 
m.  Joseph  F.  Cullman 

1.  Joseph  F.  Cullman  Jr.  (1881-1955) 
m.  Frances  Wolff 

A.  Frances  (Nan)  Cullman  b.  1910 
m.  Robert  Jacobs 

a.  Frances  Nathan  Jacobs  b.  1937 
m.  Alan  Solomon 

i.  David  Alan  Solomon  b.  1961 

b.  Barbara  Elsie  Jacobs  b.  1939 

c.  Robert  Allan  Jacobs  Jr.  b.  1946 

B.  Joseph  F.  Cullman,  3rd  b.  1912 
m.  Susan  Lehman 

a.  Dorothy  C.  Cullman  b.  1939 
m.  Norman  Treisman 

i.  Joel  Harold  Treisman  b.  1961 

C.  William  Arthur  Cullman  b.  1914 
m.  Cecilia  Stein 

a.  William  Arthur  Cullman  Jr.  b.  1939 

b.  Peter  A.  Cullman  b.  1941 

c.  Richard  L.  Cullman  b.  1944 

d.  Beatrice  A.  Cullman  b.  1946 

D.  Edgar  M.  Cullman  b.  1918 
m.  Louise  Bloomingdale 

a.  Lucy  B.  Cullman  b.  1943 

b.  Edgar  M.  Cullman  Jr.  b.  1946 

c.  Susan  R.  Cullman  b.  1949 

E.  Lewis  B.  Cullman  b.  1919 
m.  Thais  MacBride 

a.  Duncan  T.  Cullman  b.  1947 

2.  Howard  S.  Cullman  b.  1891 
m.  Elsie  Gottheil 

A.  Hugh  Cullman  b.  1923 
m.  Nan  Ogburn 

a.  Katherine  Victoria  Cullman  b.  1953 

b.  Hugh  Cullman,  Jr.  b.  1956 

c.  Alexandria  Miriam  Cullman  b.  1959 

B.  Paul  Cullman  b.  1925 
m.  Georgia  Brady 

a.  Daniel  Hugh  Cullman  b.  1947 

b.  Candice  Carol  Cullman  b.  1949 

c.  Steven  Howard  Cullman  b.  1952 

d.  Laurel  Caroline  Cullman  b.  1954 
m.  Marguerite  Wagner 


C.  Marguerite  Patricia  Cullman  b.  1936 
m.  Allan  Barry  Stone 

a.  Allison  Marguerite  Stone  b.  1956 

b.  Jeremy  Patricia  Stone  b.  1957 

c.  Claudia  Barry  Stone  b.  1959 

D.  Brian  Henrv  Cullman  b.  1950 

VI.  Aaron  L.  Stix  (1862-1955) 
m.  Belle  Strauss 

1.  Carl  (Hans)  Stix  (1890-1959) 
m.  Pauline  Fishel 

A.  Tom  C.  Stix  b.  1916 
m.  Jill  Rainer 

a.  John  Stix  b.  1958 

b.  David  Stix  b.  1960 

B.  Nancy  Stix  b.  1920 
m.  Maurice  Lazarus 

a.  Carol  Lazarus  b.  1946 

b.  Jill  Lazarus  b.  1950 

2.  Thomas  L.  Stix  b.  1896 
m.  Regine  Kronacher 

A.  Thomas  L.  Stix,  Jr.  b.  1923 
m.  Dorothy  Kerstein 

a.  Stephen  Louis  Stix  b.  1956 

b.  Julie  Stix  b.  1958 

B.  Barbara  Stix  b.  1925 
m.  Herbert  Lipke 

a.  Peter  Lipke  b.  1950 

b.  Marian  Lipke  b.  1951 

c.  Alan  Lipke  b.  1953 

d.  Paul  Lipke  b.  1956 


VII.  OttoL.  Stix  (1864-1942) 


VIII.  Caroline  (Carrie)  Stix  (1866-1937) 
m.  Samuel  W.  Weiss 

1.  William  S.  Weiss  (1888-1945) 
m.  Ray  Levi 

A.  Samuel  W.  Weiss  b.  1918 
m.  Vita  Ortman 

a.  Ellen  Weiss  b.  1946 
m.  Louise  Stieglitz 

b.  William  S.  (Billy)  Weiss  b.  1950 

B.  John  K.  Weiss  (1920-1958) 
m.  Phyllis  Warner 

a.  John  K.  (Kim)  Weiss,  Jr.  b.  1944 

b.  Karen  Weiss  b.  1945 

c.  Robin  Weiss  b.  1948 

d.  Peter  Weiss  b.  1949 

e.  Jennifer  Weiss  b.  1952 

C.  Mary  Ellen  Weiss  b.  1924 
m.  Gerson  Goodman 

a.  Stephen  Goodman  b.  1949 

b.  Nancy  Goodman  b.  1952 

c.  Gerson  (Gerry)  Goodman  b.  1955 

2.  Nina  Weiss  b.  1889 
m.  Carl  S.  Stern 

A.  Margaret  Stern  b.  1915 
m.  Journet  Kahn 

a.  David  Kahn  b.  1947 

b.  Carl  Kahn  b.  1949 

c.  Stephen  Kahn  b.  1950 

d.  Judith  Kahn  b.  1951 

e.  Elizabeth  Kahn  b.  1953 

f.  Margaret  Kahn  b.  1955 

g.  Jonathan  Kahn  b.  1957 

B.  Anne  Stern  b.  1918 
m.  Boris  I.  Bittker 

a.  Susan  Bittker  b.  1950 

b.  Danny  Bittker  b.  1953 

C.  Carl  Stern  b.  1921 
m.  Charlotte  Daniel 

a.  Christopher  Stern  b.  1956 

b.  Jennifer  Stern  b.  1961 


3.  Louis  S.  Weiss  (1894-1950) 
m.  Aline  Pollitzer 

A.  Elizabeth  Weiss  b.  1920 
m.  Edwin  L.  Goldwasser 

a.  Michael  Goldwasser  b.  1944 

b.  John  L.  Goldwasser  b.  1946 

c.  Katherine  Goldwasser  b.  1949 

d.  David  M.  Goldwasser  b.  1951 

B.  Barbara  Weiss  b.  1921 
m.  Robert  S.  Merrill 

a.  David  R.  Merrill  b.  1952 

b.  James  V.  Merrill  b.  1955 

c.  Joseph  D.  Merrill  b.  1958 

C.  Katherine  Weiss  b.  1926 
m.  Louis  H.  Pollak 

a.  Nancy  Pollak  b.  1953 

b.  Elizabeth  Pollak  b.  1955 

c.  Susan  Pollak  b.  1957 

d.  Sarah  Pollak  b.  1958 

e.  Deborah  Pollak  b.  1960 

D.  William  P.  (Peter)  Weiss  b.  1929 
m.  Joan  Kennedy 

4.  Carol  T.  Weiss  (1895-1952) 
m.  Gordon  King 

A.  Jonathan  King  b.  1925 

m.  Cynthia  (Toni)  Bregman 

a.  Gordon  B.  King  b.  1952 

b.  Austin  A.  King  b.  1955 

c.  Nathaniel  King  b.  1957 


IX.  Frances  Stix  (1867-1958) 
m.  Jonas  F.  Mann 

1.  Dorothy  G.  S.  Mann  (1894-1960) 

2.  Ruth  Z.  S.  Mann  (1897-1959) 

3.  Adrian  Stix  Mann  b.  1907 

X.  Sylvan  L.  Stix  (1871-1960) 
m.  Florence  Deitsch 

1.  Charlotte  L.  Stix  b.  1899 

2.  Louis  Stix  b.  1902 
m.  Caryl  Corey 

A.  Louis  Sylvan  Stix  b.  1931 
m.  Rosalie  Anne  Simpkins 

a.  Margaret  Prudence  Stix  b.  1956 

b.  Louis  Nicholas  Stix  b.  1958 

B.  Daniel  Louis  Stix  b.  1934 
m.  Beverly  R.  McDonnell 

a.  Patricia  Lynn  Stix  b.  1956 

b.  Robert  Daniel  Stix  b.  1957 

c.  Cynthia  Ruth  Stix  b.  1959 

d.  James  Louis  Stix  b.  1961 

C.  Susan  Hurd  Stix  b.  1939 
m.  Richard  Blumenthal 

3.  Hugh  Sylvan  Stix  b.  1907 
m.  Adine  A.  Haviland 

A.  David  Field  Stix  b.  1940 

B.  Elizabeth  Antoinette  Stix  b.  1942 
m.  Marguerite  Gompertz 

4.  Susan  Hilda  Stix  b.  1909 
m.  Donald  Weisman 

A.  Hugh  Stix  Weisman  b.  1939 
m.  Suzanne  Steinfeld 

B.  James  Stix  Weisman  b.  1941 

C  Donald  Stix  Weisman  (1944-1951) 


— Notes — 


